Samples of various new and old, damaged and undamaged papers were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled to an x-ray microanalyzer (EDX) to produce a photomicrographic atlas of types of damage commonly found in paper, mold, soot, oxidation, folding, foxing, rust, coffee, tea, acid, and fire. The results include over 90 photomicrographs of control papers and naturally aged papers. The effects of conservation treatments, such as dry cleaning, deacidification, resizing, straightening of folds, and fumigation with thymol, were also investigated. Since samples need to be very small (1cm² or 1-2 fibers), analysis is virtually nondestructive. This analysis will enable the conservator or conservation scientist to distinguish additives to paper from materials accidentally introduced. By using naturally yellowed or brown samples it could provide useful information on the effectiveness of dry-cleaning materials, or washing times. However, the authors recognize that the use of an SEM cannot help to identify paper fibers in situ.