Did you know that scrapbooks started in the early 1800’s?

Most of the memories collected would have been hand-written notes, post cards, ink drawings, pressed dried flowers and “scraps” of things that held some sentimental value. The invention of photography in 1839 gave scrappers something else to add: pictures of loved ones and places they had visited. In 1843, the invention of the printing press gave scrappers some additional “scraps” to use in the form of newspaper clippings.

Here’s how some of them would have looked:

Scrapbooks of Yesterday

We sure have come a long way since then! If the ladies of the mid-1800’s could attend a scrapbook expo of today, they would marvel at the number of papers, templates, ribbons, stickers, embellishments and other scrapbook goodies we have at our creative fingertips!!

We’d love to hear about some of the early scrapbooks you may have in your own collection.