Lined journal, 240 sides of 110 gsm smooth ivory paper. 

Commonplace Books are a very purposeful way of using a journal, or giving one as a gift. They have been used since the Fifteenth Century, the idea being to record passages of text, poems, quotations, recipes, reading lists, drawings, sayings, family turns of phrase, calligraphy, aspirations  - any words of perceived wisdom or personal significance -  all making up a memoir of the author’s interests over a number of years. All sorts of famous people have kept Commonplace Books including John Milton, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lewis Carroll and Virginia Woolf.  A brief note about the history and use of Commonplace Books is enclosed with the book.

The cover is a hand painted paste paper by Victoria Hall. Victoria has an extensive knowledge of historical paper decoration and specialises in highly-skilled fine antiquarian and period style marbling. She has also studied the technique of paste papers, a method which goes back at least to the Eighteenth Century.

If you are interested in buying decorated papers from Victoria Hall, you can contact her directly – details on her website.