Ephemera

Ephemera are documents published with a short intended lifetime. Common types of ephemera include letters, advertising trade cards, cigarette cards, posters, postcards, baseball cards, tickets, greeting cards, stock certificates and photographs. Decks of the Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards are recent example of ephemera because they will probably lose their original purpose and interest in a relatively short time.

Related Topics:
Document - Trade card - Cigarette cards - Poster - Postcard - Baseball card - Ticket - Greeting cards - Stock certificate - Photograph - Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards

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The term ephemera is also used to describe the class of published single-sheet or single page documents which are meant to be thrown away after one use. This classification then excludes simple letters and photographs with no printing on them, which are considered as manuscripts or typescripts. It includes: postcards, event-oriented posters, transportation and show tickets, baggage stickers, stock certificates, motor vehicle licensing forms, business cards, printed wedding invitations, trade cards, and other similar printed materials.

Related Topics:
Manuscript - Typescript

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An academic or a national library often has a rare book department tasked, in part, with the acquisition and organisation of such ephemera, in order to preserve them as witnesses of local or national history. In some places museums are given this responsibility, or decide to assume it. Libaries must carefully develop criteria to decide what ephemera to acquire and save.

Related Topics:
National library - History - Museum

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Compare to the related term, grey literature.

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