Scrapbooking history

We believe... Scrapbooks are a family's history books.™️

Contrary to popular belief, scrapbooking is not a "twentieth century" trend. It actually dates back before the invention of the camera and before it was even called a "scrapbook"! Bibles, journals, and even diaries contained mementos, recorded dates, names, dried flowers received from a loved ones, bits of hair, and more. At Heart Filled Designs, we feel that... Scrapbooks are a family's history book.️™️! Proof of that is in the history of scrapbooks and journaling. 

Beginning in the mid 1400's, the family Bible served as a dual family treasure... a source for God's word, and guidance, as well as the family "scrapbook". Family members annotated family events, dates, names, happenings, even family recipes on the blank pages and added folded written pages within the chapters of the Bible as well as tucking in mementos. I remember my great grandmother and grandmother's Bibles containing all of the above and more. 

Scrapbooking in 1400's  wasn't a hobby, it was an important way to document family history, local events, place snipped newspaper articles, and even political happenings. In today's times, we are still doing the exact same things... it's just been named "Scrapbooking" and considered a hobby. I feel that today's scrapbooks are  as important now as they was seen to be back in the 1400's going forward. We are really family historians! 

In the 1700's, the practice of "unbinding" a book to add more pages, photos, and memorabilia became a popular practice. Additionally, the author, James Granger, of the 1769 book "Biographical History of England" popularized embellishing the "books" when he started adding "extra illustrations". With the addition of the "extra illustrations" the "books" appeared then as what we now call a scrapbook! 

~ Tammy Wright