Tag Archives: 1800s

Rodin’s Notebook

A lovely image of a notebook that belonged to Rodin. I found this on the website of an auction house, where it was sold for over 20,000 Euros. A little out of my price range! I guess I’ll have to stick to eBay for buying notebooks that belonged to artists! See the original image and … Continue reading Rodin’s Notebook

Beethoven’s Conversation Books

I recently came across a mention of notebooks used by Beethoven: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is recognized the world over as a composer of musical masterpieces exhibiting heroic strength, particularly in the face of his increasing deafness from ca. 1798. By 1818, the Viennese composer had begun carrying blank booklets with him, for his acquaintances … Continue reading Beethoven’s Conversation Books

Édouard Manet’s Notebook

Here’s something I came across on the website of the Morgan Library: This is the only surviving personal notebook of the French artist Édouard Manet (1832–1883). He used it in the early 1860s, when he was between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty, documenting aspects of his everyday life and work in the two years … Continue reading Édouard Manet’s Notebook

August F. Foerste’s Field Notebook

A gorgeous example of a natural historian’s field notes. This belonged to August F. Foerste, an American geologist and paleontologist. From the original article at the Field Book Project website: Field notes are well known to be essential, primary material that provide details about collections and expeditions that aren’t found in published material or specimen … Continue reading August F. Foerste’s Field Notebook

Julia Wilbur’s Notebooks

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 This one belonged to Julia Wilbur, a teacher, abolitionist, and suffragette from Rochester, NY whose diaries have been archived at Haverford College.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

Notebooks Used by Henry and Edsel Ford

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

Restoration of a 19th Century Naturalist’s Notebook

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

An 1894 Travel Notebook

I love coming across antique notebooks. This was a random find on RobMan170’s Flickr feed: The journal belonged to someone named William Lee who sailed from Hong Kong to England in 1894. There are scans of what seem to be every page of the notebook, including some drawings and the manufacturer’s info on the inside … Continue reading An 1894 Travel Notebook