Ephemera! @ephemeracollecting - Tumblr Blog

On America’s birthday we think mostly of the Revolutionary War and our Founding Fathers. They signed a declaration knowing the work of building the United States was not complete just by signing a document.

This political cartoon (ca. 1861) evoking the Declaration of Independence promotes the emancipation of slaves. The image shows a slave breaking off shackles in a basket suspended by a eagle while an abolitionist proclaims “Break Every Yoke; Let the Oppressed Go Free".

Fabronius, Dominique, artist. The Declaration of Independence illustrated. [graphic] Boston: Published by Thayer & Co, ca. 1861. 1 print: lithograph; 50 x 41 cm.(19.5 x 16 in.)

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* thanks @weirdchristmas *

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Pianoforte maker Charles Begg (1825?-1874) started up his Dunedin music business around the 1860s. The date of this little bookmark is estimated from the wording of the advertising (similar to that in newspapers around 1908); however the dates at which the printer Munn & Anstiss were operating may have been later. The bookmark is cut on either side of the violin’s neck so that the lower edge of the sheet music lies behind the marked page.

Charles Begg & Company Ltd: Begg’s music houses: Dunedin, Wellington, Timaru, Invercargill, London. Begg’s for pianos, organs, music, talking machines and all kinds of musical instruments. Music House bookmark. Printed by Munn & Anstiss, Auckland. Made in U.S.A. [Bookmark. ca 1908]

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Happy Halloween! We hope you have a safe and fun night!

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The Haunted and the Haunters; or, The House and the Brain. Lord Edward George Bulwer-Lytton. New York: Fredk. A. Stokes Co., [c. 1905]. First American edition. Original chromolithographed wrappers.

“Unluckily the house is haunted, if I may use that expression, not only by night, but by day; though at night the disturbances are of a more unpleasant and sometimes of a more alarming character.”

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How to make an entrance this Thanksgiving: arrive on a turkey-drawn pumpkin, of course! Bonus if you bring your own utensils.

Explore hundreds of vintage greeting cards in DPLA, including this one from The Portal to Texas History.

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“Lady America” - John A, Braddock Trade Card, c. 1879

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View of an advertising card for D.M. Ferry & Co., depicting mignonette. Printed on front: “Mignonette from seeds put up by D.M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Mich. Painted from actual specimens, grown on D.M. Ferry & Co.’s trial grounds. Copyrighted 1889 by D.M. Ferry & Co.” Description printed on back.

Courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library

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This week we highlight the joy of finding the unexpected and the joy of naming our collections in the most literal way.

Ephemera reveals something about regular people in their historical context, what they wanted to remember, and how they interacted with the visual culture of their daily lives. When we process material and find a photograph or note tucked in between pages of a book, that item could be secret token in a hiding place, or it could be as utilitarian as a bookmark. Either way these are clues of history that many can relate to now. Have you ever hidden something in a book?

Things found in books graphics collection. [ca. 1880-ca. 1950]

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Fireworks above Cincinnati Music Hall at the Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley, July 4th, 1888. Illustration from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.