Scrapbooking, began in the 1800's, And a little giveaway!

The following is a history of how scrapbooks became 

"scrapbooks"

  The popularity of scrapbooking is not a new phenomenon; “keeping a scrap-book” was a popular 19th century pastime, especially for women and children. The Oxford English Dictionary, which defines a scrap-book as a “blank book in which pictures, newspaper cuttings, and the like are pasted for preservation," suggests that 1854 is the earliest known date of the word "scrap-book" being used in print although other methods of collecting mementos were popular since the 18th century.

Disposable paper items such as trade cards, die-cuts and greeting cards were collected by both children and adults and pasted into Victorian scrapbooks. These decorative albums were composed of "scraps," collectible cards, and trade cards, which were sometimes arranged quite artistically on a page. Scrapbooks were indispensable as a method of illustration in teaching children both at home and in the Sunday-school. Women’s magazines from the 1800s often describe the making of a scrap-book as an essential “rainy-day occupation” for children and include a list of scrapbooking supplies to be kept on hand for such a day.

Here is my very own scrapbook from the 1800's.  And all of these pictures following are within the pages of this scrapbook. Last year it was sent to me by a very special person.  It was Jen Astengo of Jnichelle.blogspot.com and she owns a beautiful gift shop in California called Bluebird Lane.  She is one talented gal, and so very generous.  It was a swap we were doing, and when I completely gushed about all the wonderful things she sent to me, plus this scrapbook from 1889, she simple said, "I just swap from the heart!"  She is one of my very special blogging friends!

I have not posted for a while here on this blog, but I decided to post here, because it is all about paper!

As I look through the very worn pages (which aren't even connected any longer) I realized that the images are placed in a definite pattern on the large pages.  Their artistic side was coming through!

I think this doggy looks like a "Buster"

I love this embossed piece.  The pages are literally falling apart.  I am happy that my acid free books will still look the same in the next century.

Check out the date on this postcard.  This was loose in the book when I got.  

Some of the images are slightly blurry.  I apologize for that.  This one had some lovely lace paper across the top, boy those Victorians sure knew how to embellish!

It looks like they must have had some fine scissors to cut out some of the images so meticulously.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and enjoyed learning a little bit of scrapbooking history.  I know that I have!
Now if you are wanting to get entered into a sweet little giveaway of Victorian ephemera, which will consist,of 2 pieces of victorian scraps from this book!  Just become a follower on this blog if you are not already, and leave a comment.  It is quite simple.  The drawing will be on Sept. 15, 2011