Collection in Focus: Sir Isaac Newton's Pocket Memorandum Book

Long before becoming one of the most celebrated figures in the history of science, Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) kept this pocket-sized memorandum book, filling it with notes distilled from his reading. The small, vellum-bound manuscript bears some of Newton’s earliest writing, dating to the end of his grammar school days and start of his university career at Trinity College, Cambridge. Philip Palmer, Robert H. Taylor Curator and Department Head, Literary and Historical Manuscripts, takes a close look at this testament to Newton's intellectual curiosity.