The encyclopedia of ephemera : a guide to the fragmentary documents of everyday life for the collector, curator, and historian

Bibliographic Information

The encyclopedia of ephemera : a guide to the fragmentary documents of everyday life for the collector, curator, and historian

Maurice Rickards ; edited and completed by Michael Twyman ; with the assistance of Sally de Beaumont and Amoret Tanner

Routledge, 2000

Available at  / 6 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 369-376

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The 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.

Table of Contents

Cultural History Material Culture and Consumption Urban Archeology Roots of Pop Culture

by "Nielsen BookData"

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