43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Ye Olde Hipster

Day in the Life: Sunrise Home

Jefferson's Ivory Hipster PDA

Dominic Brown emails with this link from the Thomas Jefferson/Monticello site. Emphasis added.

Jefferson’s clothes, according to his granddaughter, were “simple and adapted to his ideas of neatness and comfort … and sometimes blending the fashions of several periods.” In his pockets, Jefferson carried such a variety of portable instruments for making observations and measurements that he’s been dubbed a “traveling calculator.” Among his collection of pocket-sized devices were scales, drawing instruments, a thermometer, a surveying compass, a level, and even a globe. To record all these measurements, Jefferson carried a small ivory notebook (pictured) on which he could write in pencil.

Man, if that’s not the great-great-grandfather of the Hipster PDA, I don’t know what is. Hilarious.

According to The Library of Congress:

Thomas Jefferson used these ivory sheets to make penciled notes, which could then be erased once he transferred the information into one of his numerous permanent record books.

So it was basically like a miniature, paged dive board—but with ivory instead of plastic. (here’s a big photo of Jefferson’s notebook)

Note, also, that TJ was doing what a lot of hPDA fans do now; you’re looking solely for easy and ubiquitous capture with the notebook, but the heavy lifting of permanent storage is handled elsewhere—in Jefferson’s case by a big book, and in my case, by text files and Entourage. Each tool for its job, right?

Related: if a binder clip is too modern for your tastes, you can always buy this old-timey (and surprisingly compact) brass and ivory pocket notebook, which is quite similar to Jefferson’s. “It’s the 18th century version of the PDA,” say its manufacturers.

Clearly, there is nothing new under the sun

Bobby Andersen's picture

That's great!...

That's great!

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »