Grand Rapids Public Library ephemera

Collection

Identifier: Collection 216

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The GRPL Ephemera collection was first given life in 1998, during the process of organizing the collections for the moves to the temporary and new buildings, during the library renovation period. A large cache of unprocessed miscellaneous items formed the core and other like items were shifted to the collection from the materials found during the move clean up or from the small unprocessed accessions in the processing backlog.

A liberal definition of ephemera is used in determining items for this collection. Items defined in the ephemera literature as minor publications, as well as truly ephemeral materials, are included.

There are several informational or pictorial publications in the “Guides” section, which are ephemera in the sense that they are expected to become dated over time, but also often take on the form of a book/booklet. There is also a healthy growth series for cookbooks. But, as ephemera, they too often are undated, and often represent a form of PR (or fund-raising) for a church or organization, as many of the items associated with ephemera do, rather than well conceived publications. These cookbooks within a Local History collection are valued more for the brief information about the organization than the recipes themselves, which do not particularly represent local or regional foods.

Broad subject areas were also defined. But, the shape of the collection has changed over the years, as new collections were defined to cover areas such as Music, or Art or Churches, and whole sections were then moved out of the Ephemera Collection, to become part of new or other collections.

Dates

n.d.

Biographical / Historical

The GRPL Ephemera Collection employs a liberal definition of ephemera, including both historical published and unpublished materials, which in general are not items that were expected to be in general use for long periods, when they were originally created. The collection has included specific types of items which have now been spun off into other collections for topic or material type. As with all GRPL generic collections, it is a catch-all collection for small accessions which don't belong elsewhere, according to the currently defined scope of the collection. Ephemeral items generated at various periods in Grand Rapids history exist in many of the other archival collections, often as part of scrapbooks, because of the small size of many truly ephemera items such as matchbooks or ticket stubs or programs, etc.

Depending upon one's working definition of ephemera, perhaps the earliest examples commonly created in Grand Rapids were the handbills and primitive signs, often called broadsides, a few of which are still found in the GRPL Archives, with some documented as part of this collection. Also found are local script or bank notes (money), including examples from around 1840. Other original items documented for the 1840's included an invitation to a Ball at the Rathbun House and a tax receipt.

There may be a few old examples of business cards and other types of business documents which appear to be old, but are undated. One of the earliest published documents found in this collection is an 1856 business directory. These may be considered ephemeral in the sense that they were expected to be discarded once an updated directory was published. Historians cherish old directories today as key documents of the existence of individuals or organizations at a given point and place in chronological history.

Other documents in this collection may cover early data from a later historical date, covering a date range from the early 1800s, but issued at a much later date.

This collection contains a significant number of cookbooks. The recipes within these volumes may be less valued in some cases than the scant information on the organization issuing the document. Those recipe books which provide the name of the cook providing the recipe also provide historians with a document of that individual's existence, though these are not indexed and there is little other information in the source on these individuals.

Extent

33.9 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Grand Rapids Public Library ephemera collection includes miscellaneous items relating to Grand Rapids, Michigan history. Ephemera are items that were created for a specific, limited purpose and were intended to be discarded after use. This can include posters, tickets, programs, brochures, receipts and advertisements. The collection also includes calendars, almanacs, business cards, certificates, city and county guides, cookbooks, menus and school catalogs.

Related Materials

Grand Rapids related ephemera is not restricted to the GRPL Ephemera Collection, and can be found in many of the other archival collections in the department. The types of ephemera which might be found are related to the type of collection. Thus, in those collections representing organizations one might expect to find programs or fliers from related to an organization's events.