The Gregg Group was founded 22 May 2004, prompted by the lack of online shorthand resources. As the primary use for shorthand — business and legal recording — has waned in recent decades, we generally acclaim the skill as a hobby or personal tool. The purpose of the group is to promote the use of Gregg systems of shorthand by providing advice to beginners, support for students, and an association of users of this efficient, attractive, and enjoyable method of writing.
Do we know anything about the kinds of notebooks shorthand writers used in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
If the Internet is to be believed, spiral bound notebooks like the standard steno pad didn’t appear until the 1920s or 1930s.
So what did stenographers write on during the early Pitman era, or during the first few decades of Gregg?
There are lots of examples of the writing, but almost none of the notebooks themselves.
Lee