When I posted recently about most of my notebooks being stuck in a storage unit, a sympathetic commenter named Anna replied: “I feel your pain! Just remember–Anais Nin kept her diaries in a bank vault. Somewhere there’s a photo of her (perhaps in the vault?) surrounded by notebooks in a disorganized pile.” I had no … Continue reading Anaïs Nin and Her Journals
Treuleben is a very nice-looking German notebook brand that I recently came across online. At 95 euros for a pocket notebook, I am not planning to buy one anytime soon, but from what I can see on their website, they do offer some luxurious detailing for your money: full-grain leather covers in beautiful colors, gilt … Continue reading Treuleben Notebooks
Such an interesting article from Atlas Obscura. I’d never heard the term “zibaldone” before! ONE DAY IN VENICE, SOMETIME near the end of the 14th century, a busy merchant found himself with a few spare moments. Maybe it was a slow day at the docks, or he arrived home too early for dinner. Whatever the reason, he … Continue reading What’s a Zibaldone?
Below is a notebook or diary of a type that seems to have been very common in the mid-late 1800s. This one belonged to Julia Wilbur, a teacher, abolitionist, and suffragette from Rochester, NY whose diaries have been archived at Haverford College. “In 1862, she traveled on her own to Washington and Alexandria, then Union-occupied, … Continue reading Julia Wilbur’s Notebooks
Castelli Italy recently provided me with a lovely assortment of their latest products. (Also see my last review of Castelli notebooks from 2014.) My first impression was “elegant.” The dark colors and black and gold packaging really look snazzy, the stationery equivalent of an formal evening gown. As with an evening gown, some people may … Continue reading Review and Giveaway: Castelli Notebooks
Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, was famous for always carrying a pocket notebook in which he jotted notes and ideas. After seeing this mentioned in various books, I was curious to see what kind of notebooks he used. A little research brought me to the website of The Henry Ford, which comprises … Continue reading Notebooks Used by Henry and Edsel Ford
Here’s a notebook that gets a lot of points for style: the Iconic Essay Book. “Un Recueil D’Essais” means “collection of essays,” and this notebook suggests that you “write down every precious moment of your life”. The cover design looks like an old-fashioned book- various colors are available but the maroon color I chose seemed … Continue reading Review: Iconic Essay Notebook
What a great story! Bhintuna “Jya poo” couldn’t find the kind of notebooks she wanted in Nepal, so she started a company to make them. Bhav has now been in business for 3 years. When Bhintuna started looking for the kind of stationery that she often stumbled upon on the internet, she realised that the … Continue reading Bhav Notebooks from Nepal
I was in my local Barnes & Noble the other day and noticed something I hadn’t seen before: medium sized Moleskine notebooks with real leather covers instead of the usual faux leather. Moleskine does occasionally have some limited editions that use real leather– there were some really cool planners years ago– but it’s rare. I … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: Leather Classic Notebooks at B&N
If you happen to be in New York in the next few days, you might want to check out the “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibition about the history of Louis Vuitton, especially since it’s free! Some of it is just advertising for the brand, but what makes it interesting is that it looks back at the … Continue reading Louis Vuitton Exhibition in NYC