The history of mankind is long and rich. A curious species, many of us are fascinated with the places from whence we came and the way things were in days of yore. Without the existence of cameras or any other technology for recording the past, the majority of what we know about the events of history comes from examining primary sources.

First-hand written accounts provide truly invaluable insight into the details of daily life in the past. By comparing various accounts of the same day in history, we have even been able to come close to understanding the details of major historic events. One of the most valuable resources for primary documents are historic journal entries. Personal accounts allow us to steal glimpses of the intimate details of life during a given time period.

The oldest known written diary dates back to the 2nd century AD to a piece by Ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius titled To Myself. While this and many similar early journals offer objective accounts of the status quo, by the Renaissance era this style of journal writing began to evolve.

By the 15th century, people began to express themselves more freely in diaries, recording daily events and routines as well as their own opinions and emotions. This sort of insight has provided us with a much greater depth to our understanding of history and its players.

While the journal entries of major historical figures are of course valuable, it has often been the accounts of average citizens that are of the most interest to historian as they provide a better idea of the lives and outlooks of the general populace during that period. For example, some of the most telling accounts of the Civil War period have been from the journals of a layer from New York and the wife of an officer of the Confederate army.

Recording daily reflections in a diary has been the norm throughout history. No wardrobe is complete without a journal - so check out our newest selection of period journals. Our handmade leather bound journals have over 200 blank pages giving you plenty of space to start recording history.