Ephemera

Ephemera is a term used for printed or otherwise published materials that were intended to be short-lived or discarded after a brief period. The word derives from Greek ephēmeros, meaning lasting only a day, and in English has long described transient items produced for everyday use, commerce, or public communication rather than for durable publication.

Common forms include broadsides, posters, tickets, trade cards, advertisements, pamphlets, calendars, newspapers and magazine inserts, and small handbills. Ephemeral materials were especially widespread from the 17th through the 19th centuries, accompanying literacy expansion, urban commerce, and public events. Because they are inexpensive and fragile, ephemera are often collected, archived, or preserved by libraries, archives, and museums for their social, political, and cultural value, despite their originally disposable intent.

Their significance lies in what they reveal about daily life, commercial networks, public opinion, and historical moments. Conserving ephemera requires careful handling, acid-free storage, and cataloging to maintain legibility and context, since many items survive in limited quantities or in degraded conditions.

In modern collecting and scholarship, ephemera continues to be studied for evidentiary and aesthetic reasons. Digital-era ephemera, such as flyers circulated online, social media snapshots, and event badges, are related strands in the broader concept of material designed for short-term use.