Ephemera
Ephemera are printed materials that were meant to be used and then discarded, not kept permanently. Saving these advertising pieces, event programs, menus, tickets, and other expendable items enables us to glimpse the daily lives of New Englanders.
AdvertisementsHistoric New England's ads feature an assortment of products, from baseballs and beds to vacuums and Victrolas. Eye-catching designs and vibrant colors furnish insights into the aesthetic sensibilities and marketing techniques of the commercial world over time, as well as into the taste of the country's burgeoning consumer society. |
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Billheads and InvoicesA billhead is essentially a combination of an invoice and letterhead. These printed forms supply valuable information about the economic activities of past generations. Many include detailed illustrations of the offices, factories, and stores of businesses and firms and their surrounding districts. |
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Greeting CardsColorful expressions of heartfelt emotions, greeting cards celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, Christmas, Fourth of July, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day. With the introduction of chromolithography, the greeting card developed into a miniature work of art. This selection highlights the major contributions of Bostonian Louis Prang, a leader in the American printing industry of the nineteenth century. |
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PamphletsShorter than books and magazines, pamphlets can be issued more quickly and thus address topics in a timely fashion. The extensive holdings of Historic New England cover a wide span of commercial, educational, governmental, informational, and travel arenas and reach from the 1700s to today. |
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Playing CardsHistoric New England's Library and Archives contains a variety of decks and packs, for example, instructional games like "Characteristics; An Original Game by a Lady" and a set testing players' knowledge of historical subjects. |
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ProgramsPrinted to commemorate public or private events, programs outline the specifics of concerts, athletic competitions, theatrical performances, association dinners, and other special affairs. Some pieces are elaborately embellished, as can be seen in these samples from amusement parks, music halls, and additional venues. |
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Trade CardsAn advertising phenomenon of the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries, trade cards were given away to promote the whole panoply of offerings in the marketplace. Prized for their lively designs and bright palette of hues, collecting them became a popular pastime. Historic New England holds thousands of trade cards, heralding everything from clambakes and ice skates to patent medicines and washing machines. |
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Trade CataloguesAs the industrial age generated an ever-expanding array of consumer goods, trade catalogues presented merchandise alluringly to potential customers. In the United States, catalogues were a practical solution to the problem of geographical distance between buyer and seller. |
