ACT Heritage Library Ephemera Collection
Ephemera is produced for a specific and immediate purpose and intended to be thrown away. Some examples of ephemera include posters, brochures, flyers/dodgers, programs, tickets, invitations, menus, catalogues and paper-based promotional items such as coasters and napkins.
We collect ephemera because it:
- is often the only record of an event, particularly of short lived organisations and reactive events
- provides documentary evidence of business, community, social and cultural life
- offers evidence of trends in communication, psychology of selling, consumerism, fashion, art and design
- Has a display value
The collection is extensive and dates back to the very beginnings of the ACT. We arrange our ephemera in five main categories:
1. General
- List of General Ephemera File Headings
2. Performing Arts
- List of ACT performing arts companies and venues
- List of Albert Hall ephemera holdings 1927-2015
- List of Canberra Children's Choir ephemera holdings 1971-2014
- List of Canberra Children's Theatre ephemera holdings 1962-1979
- List of Canberra Choral Society ephemera holdings 1955-2000
- List of Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Canberra Orchestral Society ephemera holdings 1954-2011
- List of Canberra Theatre Centre ephemera holdings 1965-2012
- List of Australian National University Venues 1965-2006 (Word 2.9MB)
- List of Australian National University Venues 1965-2006 (PDF 4.3MB)
3. Visual Arts
- List of Visual Arts files of invitations, posters, flyers and other promotional material concerning exhibitions in the ACT and immediate district.
4. ACT Government
5. Posters
- List of poster subjects - items of A3 size and larger in all categories are filed as posters and are arranged by subject.