The History of the Binder Notebook

You've probably seen three ring binders in classes. They come in many different colors and the rings can be small or large, to accommodate more or less paper. The two constants of three ring binders are the height and width standing up and the plastic or cardboard cover to protect the papers within.

Loose Leaf Paper

Until the late 1800s, everyone used loose leaf paper to write and organize information. Unfortunately, this would often cause confusion as pages moved out of order. At this time, staples and paper clips also did not exist. Papers could be files, but this didn't offer much mobility in business matters. Then the binder notebook was invented.

Invention

The first patent on the binder notebook occurred in 1886 in Germany by inventor Friedrich Soennecken. However, in 1859, 25 years before Friedrich, Henry T. Sisson of Rhode Island filed a patent on the three ring binder, according to the Office Museum website.

Early Binders

Despite the patent in 1859, the binders weren't advertised for sale until 1878, almost twenty years later for "Sisson's Improved Magic File and Binder". The delay is most likely due in part to Henry T. Sisson's involvement in the Civil War, as a Colonel. According to the Office Museum website, the early binder secured papers with four holes. But by 1899, Chicago Binder and File Company offered them in two and three ring style.

Early Binder Notebooks

Early three ring binder notebook were covered with a heavy cardboard-like binding. This was used to protect it from the elements. It's more commonly made with plastic, today. The rings themselves were made from cold rolled steel and were opened to place more paper in, as needed. The size hasn't changed much over the years, as the size of loose leaf paper has remained constant at 8.5 x 11 inches.

New Functions

Although three ring binders haven't changed drastically, new functions have been added. New binders have plastic dividers with tabs for separating classes. In the 1990s, many binder makers included a thin piece of plastic on the outside of the hardened plastic as a space to place pictures or other creative material on the outside of the binder.

Scrapbooks

Photo albums and scrapbooks evolved from the binder notebook, as a specialized version. Like the notebook, most scrapbooks and photo albums have a hard cover and room for extra pages to be put in. Unlike the notebook, these are not limited by the size of loose leaf paper.

References

• Office Museum: Small Files and Filing Devices