Papersmiths is a stationery shop with branches in London and Brighton, UK, and online. I have been following them online for a while, and actually ordered some Bindewerk notebooks from them a few years ago, when I was having trouble finding them in the US. It was lovely to hear from the team at Papersmiths … Continue reading Papersmiths Notebook Review
This notebook feels almost like a Holy Grail find. A pocket sized Smythson notebook with UNLINED paper! I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Smythson notebooks. I splurged on one of their address books ages ago because I loved the classic and classy Panama cross-grain leather cover and light blue pages. At … Continue reading Review: Unlined Smythson Notebook
It’s been more than 8 years since I reviewed a notebook from Letts! This classic English brand has been around even longer than that, though… since 1812, in fact! Letts claims to be the first publisher of “commercial diaries,” meaning a mass-produced calendar book combined with space to write and usually some business-related promotional info … Continue reading Letts Notebook Review
Some fascinating historic notebooks recording the first contact between British settlers and Aboriginal people in Australia: A set of 1788 notebooks recording the first attempts at communication between British settlers and Indigenous Australians reveals language that is still in use in Sydney Aboriginal communities today. The Dawes notebooks, named for First Fleet officer William Dawes … Continue reading The Dawes Notebooks
What is a barrister’s notebook? That is what I found myself wondering when I recently read a PD James mystery set in the colorfully traditional world of the London criminal court system. (See Crown Court, Old Bailey and Inns of Court for more background.) I noticed a mention of a certain type of blue notebook … Continue reading The Barrister’s Notebook
Great Britain’s royal family has long been artistically inclined. Their work is now the subject of an exhibition called The Royal Paintbox, which runs from June 22, 2013 to January 26, 2014 at Windsor Castle. Here’s a wonderful example: Exhibition curator Lauren Porter holds a book owned by Queen Victoria containing various sketches drawn in … Continue reading Queen Victoria’s Sketchbook
This is amusing: Which Smythson notebook would you give to which Cabinet minister? Smythson are the makers of lovely little leather-covered notebooks with whimsical phrases embossed on the front. (Somewhere in my collection I have their “Blondes Brunettes Redheads” address book.) The proud holder of two royal warrants, Smythson of Bond Street (established in 1887 … Continue reading Smythson Notebooks for British Cabinet Members
