Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
When we want to save something online, we bookmark it. Just click it and you’re done. When we’re reading a book, using a bookmark tells us where we’ve left off so we can start again.
SurfWriter Girls love to read books and make sure to always have a bookmark handy. Bending or dogearing a page is a definite no-no.
We were intrigued to learn that the earliest bookmark known to exist – an ornamented leather strap dating to 6th Century AD – was found in an Egyptian monastery. Did you know that cat statues were often placed in Egyptian sacred spaces for protection against evil spirits?
Through the ages bookmarks have been prized for their practical and decorative value. From the early monks (when scribes painstakingly hand wrote religious manuscripts) through the 15th Century, leather straps, vellum tabs, and silk ribbons were often used as bookmarks.
After the printing press was invented in the mid-15th Century and mechanically printed books became available, the public began to read, and a variety of bookmarks were used.
Over the years bookmarks have been made from embroidered silk, metal, fabric, cardboard and plastic. Some bookmarks are works of art, while others are fun, informative, inspirational or support a cause.
Enhancing the reading experience, they can mark a favorite recipe for later, save our place in a reference or how-to book, keep us on track in a mystery novel to find out Whodunit.
From inexpensive and promotional advertising bookmarks to treasured, gifted ones, bookmarks enable us to make a statement, express our thoughts and passions, add style to our day, put a smile on our face…and, of course, mark the page.
Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.