A Guide to the Ephemera Collection


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Ephemera Collection
	Title:	Ephemera Collection
	Abstract:	Collection of American ephemeral items--materials defined as transient, everyday items, usually printed on paper, that are manufactured for a specific limited use, then often discarded.
	Extent:	ca. 17 ft.
	Language:	Materials are written in English.
	Repository:	The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Scope and Contents

Collection of American ephemeral items--materials defined as transient, everyday items, usually printed on paper, that are manufactured for a specific limited use, then often discarded. The Ephemera Collection also includes everyday items that are meant to be saved, at least for a while, such as keepsakes or souvenirs. Examples of ephemera are invitations, programs, calendars, bumper stickers, menus, broadsides, and tickets.


Organization and Arrangement
	Individual pieces of ephemera in the Ephemera Collection are described solely by what they are (their format) rather than what they are about (their subject content). Items for each different format are housed in separate boxes, and within each box, items are further divided in file folders.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

Use Restrictions

Unrestricted use.

Related Material


	Not all ephemera housed in the Briscoe Center are stored in the Ephemera Collection. Some, especially pamphlets, have been fully cataloged into the Texas Collection Library and, therefore, are accessible through the UT Libraries Online Catalog. Ephemera related to the history of the University of Texas are held in the UT Ephemera Collection at the Briscoe Center. Broadsides, another category of ephemera, are housed in the Broadside Collection and have been described individually in the Broadside Collection’s card file located in the physical card catalog in the Briscoe Center. Many postcards are located in the General Postcard Collection, for which a printed inventory exists. And, finally, many pieces of ephemera of all varieties remain part of the manuscript collections in which they originated because of their strong association with these collections.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Ephemera Collection, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Note

Housed with broadsides in 2.227 alcove.

Detailed Description of the Papers

Inventory

box

Advertisements: public notices of the availability of goods or services through purchase or other means.