# Origin of the student composition book cover

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 14, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512 "2012-01-14T17:14:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512/1 "2012-01-14T17:14:56Z")

</div>

You know those bound composition books that school kids still use? I used them when I was in elementary school 40 years ago. My kids use the same kind today.

Why do they all have those same covers, black with the white squiggly lines, and how did it start?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512/2 "2012-01-14T18:20:28Z")

</div>

There’s actually a [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_book) about them, but unfortunately it doesn’t really address your questions.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512/3 "2012-01-14T18:29:56Z")

</div>

I think it’s like fake woodgrain paneling on station wagons. It’s in imitation of a type of pebbled leather you see on old notebooks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-student-composition-book-cover/609512/4 "2012-01-15T01:54:57Z")

</div>

Boy, I hate it when I can’t recall where I’ve seen this before. I definitely have. I’ll try to get some info.