The Encyclopedia of Ephemera: A Guide to the Fragmentary Documents of Everyday Life for the Collector, Curator, and HistorianThe joy of finding an old box in the attic filled with postcards, invitations, theater programs, laundry lists, and pay stubs is discovering the stories hidden within them. The paper trails of our lives -- or ephemera -- may hold sentimental value, reminding us of great grandparents. They chronicle social history. They can be valuable as collectibles or antiques. But the greatest pleasure is that these ordinary documents can reconstruct with uncanny immediacy the drama of day-to-day life. The Encyclopedia of Ephemera is the first work of its kind, providing an unparalleled sourcebook with over 400 entries that cover all aspects of everyday documents and artifacts, from bookmarks to birth certificates to lighthouse dues papers. Continuing a tradition that started in the Victorian era, when disposable paper items such as trade cards, die-cuts and greeting cards were accumulated to paste into scrap books, expert Maurice Rickards has compiled an enormous range of paper collectibles from the obscure to the commonplace. His artifacts come from around the world and include such throw-away items as cigarette packs and crate labels as well as the ubiquitous faxes, parking tickets, and phone cards of daily life. As this major new reference shows, simple slips of paper can speak volumes about status, taste, customs, and taboos, revealing the very roots of popular culture. |
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 9 |
Section 3 | 39 |
Section 4 | 45 |
Section 5 | 69 |
Section 6 | 86 |
Section 7 | 131 |
Section 8 | 145 |
Section 19 | 276 |
Section 20 | 276 |
Section 21 | 276 |
Section 22 | 276 |
Section 23 | 276 |
Section 24 | 276 |
Section 25 | 276 |
Section 26 | 276 |
Section 9 | 169 |
Section 10 | 177 |
Section 11 | 178 |
Section 12 | 185 |
Section 13 | 187 |
Section 14 | 201 |
Section 15 | 215 |
Section 16 | 217 |
Section 17 | 259 |
Section 18 | 261 |
Section 27 | 276 |
Section 28 | 276 |
Section 29 | 317 |
Section 30 | 343 |
Section 31 | 347 |
Section 32 | 363 |
Section 33 | 367 |
| 369 | |
Other editions - View all
The Encyclopedia of Ephemera: a Guide to the Fragmentary Documents of ... Maurice Rickards No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
19th century advertising album American American Antiquarian Society appeared banknote bearing became bill billhead Bodleian Library booklet bore Britain British broadside carried certificate chromolithographed cigarette Collection colour commonly cover decorative display document earliest embossed engraved envelope ephemera example feature folded handwritten illustrated issued John label late later leaflets letter Letterpress lettersheets Library licence lithographed London major manufacturers manuscript measuring ment Mulready envelope Museum newspaper notice novelty Office package packet paper part-printed period phenakistoscope pictorial plate popular Post postage stamp postal postal stationery postcard poster printed printers produced published Railway range record REFERENCES Royal seal sheet shillings showing Society sold sometimes specific specimens stamp stationery sticker Street street literature surviving theatre ticket tion trade card typical University of Reading Welbury widely William wood-engraving words World wrapper York