I was not familiar with Japanese author Shunei Fujisawa, but the publication of some of his notebooks was a notable event in Japan. Shuhei Fujisawa (1927-1997) recorded the deep sorrow he felt over the loss of his wife, Etsuko, in a pocketbook, excerpts of which his sole daughter, Nobuko Endo, has published in a magazine … Continue reading Shunei Fujisawa’s Notebooks
I’m a fan of Seattle Sketcher Gabi Campanario, the founder of Urban Sketchers, so it was particularly fun to see what he carries with him on his daily sketching excursions! Read more at: Here’s what Seattle Sketcher carries in his sketching bag
The article about Grace Coddington’s Smythson was fun, but this is even better: a lovely glimpse of Katharine Hepburn’s Smythson address book! “[W]ith the phone numbers and addresses of people from Rock Hudson and Frank Sinatra to Winston Churchill and Vivien Leigh scrawled in biro (and, occasionally, pink felt tip) on the pages of her bespoke … Continue reading Katharine Hepburn’s Address Book
A reader pointed me to Baron Schwartz’s excellent comparison of a lot of different notebook brands he tried while searching for “the Holy Grail of notebooks.” Here’s some of them, along with his handy list of what they are: An Italian leatherette journal by Markings A Semikolon Il Creativo, large A Quo Vadis Habana An … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Baron Schwartz
This sounds like an interesting exhibit, at the Concord Museum in Massachusetts: This Ever New Self: Thoreau and His Journal. “The show centers on the journal Thoreau kept throughout his life and its importance in understanding the essential Thoreau. More than twenty of Thoreau’s journal notebooks are shown along with letters and manuscripts, books from … Continue reading Exhibition Featuring Henry David Thoreau’s Journals
This little gem has been sitting in my to-be-reviewed pile for 3 years now! Alwych is a Scottish brand with a long history. I’d read about them online and was lucky enough to come across one for sale in a fun store in Brooklyn called Dry Goods, which unfortunately closed just a couple months ago. … Continue reading Review: The Alwych Book
This week’s addict is an “urban sketcher, strongwoman, artist, fountain pen collector and maker.” She shared an intriguing photo of her notebook/sketchbook collection on Twitter: Not sure what all the brands are, but definitely Leuchtturm and Stillman & Birn. Maybe also Rhodia, Miquelrius and Moleskine? Also check out her review of the SketchWallet on her … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: SunamiSue
There really is a notebook for everything… “For close to 60 years, a set of notebooks sat unused in the herbarium at the Yangambi Biological Station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During the colonial era, this was an agricultural research station, the National Institute for Agronomic Study of the Belgian Congo, or INEAC. … Continue reading Notebooks About Congolese Trees
The Hobonichi Techo has become a cult favorite over the last few years, but it’s not the only Japanese planner system out there. I noticed the Jibun Techo at the Baum-kuchen website: “JIBUN TECHO will be a good fit for you if you: –manage your agenda with monthly/weekly but does not need a predated daily … Continue reading Jibun Techo Planner
Grace Coddington is well known in the fashion world as an editor, former model, and author. Now she’s also a spokesperson for Smythson. Most of the linked article is promoting their various leather bags and accessories, but I loved getting a glimpse of this well-worn address book! I bought a Smythson address book a long … Continue reading Grace Coddington’s Smythson Notebooks