Can you judge a notebook by its cover? Perhaps! I was very excited to get these samples from Halaby Aero. The first time I saw these notebooks at Paper Presentation in NYC, I immediately thought they were cool. I have no day to day use for any of the airplane-related info on the covers, but … Continue reading Review and Giveaway: Halaby Aero Flightbook Notebooks
Here’s a beautiful notebook that I’d rather not see up close: “Marie Curie made some of the most significant contributions to science in the 20th century. And as most people already know, she did so at a great cost to her own health. What most people probably don’t know, however, is that the radiation … Continue reading Marie Curie’s Radioactive Notebook
Here’s another simple notebook style from Boorum and Pease, and this one still seems to be available, at least in this size and format: Boorum & Pease Handy Size 7 x 4 3/8 Inch 96-Page Bound Memo Book with Stiff Tan Cover (6559) Below is from a post by Andy at Woodclinched (a blog about … Continue reading Another Retro Style from Boorum & Pease
A blog post about a book about field notebooks, with lots of interesting observations, including this: “The notebook is like a magical object in a fairytale. It is a lot more than an object, as it inhabits and fills out hallowed ground between meditation and production. Truly, writing is a strange business…” And some images … Continue reading Thoughts on Field Notebooks
I’d love to flip through this old notebook: “This notebook was owned by the 19th Century poet, preacher, and naturalist, George Crabbe. The binding was damaged, and split along the joint, and some of the sections were loose. However, of most concern were the loose plant and insect specimens that were pressed between the pages.” … Continue reading Restoration of a 19th Century Naturalist’s Notebook
I recently came across a great post by Tom Lipton of Ox Tools, who designs and builds “special tools, instruments, and mechanical devices for the scientific, medical, product development, and metal working industries.” He has some great thoughts on why it’s important to keep a paper notebook, and the contents of his own notebooks are … Continue reading Tom Lipton’s Industrial Notebook
The front cover of Isaac Newton’s notebook from the 1660s. How amazing to think that something he called a “Waste Book” would contain his notes on scientific and mathematical concepts that are so important to us today! The pages are available digitally via the Cambridge University Library. See more images at Isaac Newton’s Personal Notebooks … Continue reading Isaac Newton’s Notebooks
A reader named Steve commented on my “Dissecting a Moleskine” post with a link to a fascinating inquiry of his own: what is the actual weight of Moleskine paper? Steve points out that many notebook brands make a selling point of their paper weight, expressed in grams per square meter (GSM): • Calepino, 90 • … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: Analyzing Paper Weight
I just read an interesting book called Fordlandia, about Henry Ford’s attempt to set up his own model community in Brazil where he wanted to have his own rubber plantation. Ford apparently kept a lot of pocket notebooks, which are mentioned in the book. I haven’t found any photos of them yet, but I did … Continue reading Thomas Edison’s Notebook
I forget how I came across this but it’s pretty cool. From a 2008 eBay sale– I wonder who snagged it! Read more at Hang Fire Books: 1919 Electrical Engineer’s Notebook, Abstract Plumbing Poster and 1950s Telefilm Pressbooks.