Making Memories: All About Scrapbooking

You may have heard about scrapbooking or you're already into this creative activity yourself. 

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You may think that scrapbooking, as a hobby, has only gained popularity during recent decades. 

The truth is, the history of scrapbooking dates as far back as before the invention of photography. 

Scrapbooking is rooted to the merger of personal storytelling and the long history of printed images. 

Scrapbooking: How It All Began 

Commonplace books

Scrapbooking history is rooted in 15th century England, during which commonplace books and the friendship album became popular. Letters, poems, recipes, scrapbook quotes, and similar items were kept in the commonplace books. 

The friendship album, on the other hand, would be presented by homeowners whenever  they would have guests over. 

Guests wouldn't only have to sign the friendship album, they're also encouraged to include something personal -- a quote, a poem, or their thoughts about the homeowners. Some people drew pictures. 

Scrapbooking in the 1800s

Over time, black-and-white photos and newspaper clippings were included among scrapbook pages for preservation.

With the need to preserve these mementos came the invention of the scrapbook album, which was usually large and bulky. 

During the mid-1800s, themed, leather-bound albums were manufactured. Some had corner pockets to hold photos and even pages for drawing and painting with water colors.

A Brief Decline in the Purchase of Scrapbook Albums After World War I 

During the recession that followed World War I, the production of scrapbook albums dropped drastically. 

People chose to store their photos, cards, and other mementos inside boxes instead of a scrapbook album. 

After a while, when photography began to expand, people preferred photo albums to house their photos. 

The woman who brought back scrapbooking's popularity

In 1980, Marielen Christensen brought together 50 volumes of her family's history. These were shared with the public and caused people to become interested in scrapbooking. 

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Keeping Memories Alive, the 1st scrapbooking store, was opened by Christensen. Within a decade, scrapbooking turned into one of the most popular hobbies in America.

Scrapbooking: An Individual Hobby Turned Social Event

What was once perceived to be a solitary hobby can now be enjoyed in groups, making scrapbooking a social event. 

There are companies that manufacture scrapbooking products that organize parties to promote and sell their brand. 

Scrapbooking was also regarded as an ideal activity for retreats and cruises, where avid scrapbookers can sign up.