Time Warp Tuesday - 8 April 2025

Published on Tuesday, 8 April 2025 at 6:04:29 PM

Welcome to #TimeWarpTuesday! And this week we are shining a spotlight on Ephemera, one of the sub-collections that makes up our Local History Collection.

And its Election Season – so ‘We want your EPHEMERA!’ We’ve been through the State Government elections already and are now into the Federal Government election period. Please can you help us preserve this moment in time by saving your election ephemera for prosperity? Gather up all your letters, cards and promotional items from candidates and bring them into us here at the Library.

But first…

What is Ephemera?

Ephemera are “things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time” (1).

To quote the Ephemera Society of America “In a nutshell, to collectors ‘ephemera’ are vintage printed or written items which originally served some specific purpose and were not expected to be retained or preserved, but which are now cherished…

“As to the origins of the word itself, according to Oxford Reference, ephemera refers to ‘things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time, items of collectable memorabilia typically written or printed that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity. Recorded in English from the late 16th century as the plural of ephemeron from Greek neuter of ephēmeros ‘lasting only a day’. The word originally denoted a plant said to last only one day, or an insect with a short lifespan, and hence was applied to a thing of short-lived interest. Current use has been influenced by plurals such as trivia and memorabilia.’

“Maurice Rickards, author of the definitive Encyclopedia of Ephemera and a founder of The Ephemera Society in England, dubbed such items ‘the minor transient documents of everyday life.‘ That organization says that—produced to meet the needs of the day—'such items reflect the moods and mores of past times in a way that more formal records cannot.’ Besides being enjoyable to find and collect, vintage ephemera is valuable primary source information which offers unique windows into cultures past.” (2)

Collage of different pieces of ephemera in the collection.

Local History Collection, Town of Victoria Park Library Service

The Ephemera Collection

We have wonderful little ‘snippets’ of time that have been captured within the ephemera that is in our Local History Collection. We have concert programmes from a school play in 1937, how to vote cards from past elections at all levels of government, envelopes sent to local businesses with addresses and stamps intact, promotional postcards, invitations and receipt books, bookmarks, tickets, tram timetables and much more.

Do you have a little piece of our history at home? A ticket stub from a tram, bus or train trip be it long ago or just a few years back? Your little piece of ephemera could hold the key to unlocking pieces of history, such as important dates like official openings of buildings etc. Some ephemera can even tell us what was on the menu for official events, who the guests were, what songs people sang and more. All of these pieces of ephemera help us ‘to put flesh on the bones of history’ and help us to see the everyday lives of our ancestors in a tangible way.

We would love to see ephemera relating to the suburbs within the Town of Victoria Park that you might have? And please send us your election ephemera. We are happy to accept donations of materials or to scan and return originals. Get in touch with us today and share your little gems of history. You can contact us by telephone: 08 9373 5500, email: vicparklibrary@vicpark.wa.gov.au or in person at 27 Sussex Street, East Victoria Park.

#LoveVicPark

E2023.00001.01 Victoria Park Primary School 1894-1994 Centenary Celebration Programme, cover of trifold DL brochure.