Little old naive me loved the simplicity of the Field Notes books but I had no idea of their history. I was exploring their site the other day when I stumbled across their archive. Co founder Aaron Draplin tells the story better than I ever could so please follow the link at the end of this journal entry and explore. The history of Field Notes is very special and what I really admire is Aarons passion and vision to recognise the greatness in these little books he found whilst rummaging around at flea markets and to take that wealth of history and make it relevant. Perhaps Aaron’s archive is one of the only remaining reference points? I love glimpsing in the past to see a different way of life, a slower pace and a medium that was somehow socially and commercially accepted as a way of selling and advertising agricultural goods and yet also practically helping farmers with a practical note book. Hats off to Aaron and team.
These guys are one of my all time favourites, going about what they do in a quiet off the radar way. Their website is faultless, beautifully designed. The product selection is wonderfully curated and in my view not at first that commercial but by sticking to their philosophy they have created a powerful brand which has the potential to be infinitely commercial but that is not the point. They do what they do out of love and passion and it shows, yes you want to buy the products but first and foremost you just want to be immersed in their world. They make graphic design/creativity an artwork. They make old pencil boxes supremely sexy. I love the mix of old and new and the no compromise passion to hunt out ephemera from all corners of the globe. Make sure you check out the blog, WOW. I have not yet been to their shop but I will go soon. They say a picture says a thousand words and it’s true. SUPER LOVE.
