Ephemera Collection
The Ephemera Collection contains published programmes, posters, menus, advertising, pamphlets, and other material relating to New Zealand, the Pacific, and New Zealanders overseas.
About the Ephemera Collection
The Ephemera Collection forms part of the Alexander Turnbull Library collections. The Collection has over 200,000 ephemera items dating from the 1840s to the present. Subject strengths include theatre and entertainment, politics and activism, horticulture, war, Māori, tourism, alcohol, environmental issues, everyday life and popular culture.
Formats
You can do a keyword search on a format, or combine any topic word with a term for a specific format as well. For example, search on:
Types of ephemera
The ephemera collection includes:
posters
sales catalogues
labels
theatre programmes
agricultural shw programmes and posters
sports programmes and posters
calendars
menus
postcards and greeting cards.
See examples below or have a look at highlights on tumblr Turnbull Ephemera.
Posters
Including advertisements, protest posters, political, theatre, and music posters
L-R: (1) Public dinner on Thursday, 15th April, At Barrett's Hotel, Wellington to commemorate the Intelligence of the Islands of New Zealand being declared INDEPENDENT of New South Wales, and of the adjustment of Differences between the Government and the New Zealand Company. Ref: Eph-B-POLITICS-1841-01 (2) Opera House : The Great Levante and his magical extravaganza "How's tricks". Opera House June 4th, 5th. Ref: Eph-C-CABOT-Magic-1941-01 (3) Rountree, Harry, 1878-1950 :New Zealand, the sportsman's paradise. . Ref: Eph-E-TOURISM-1925-01
Sales catalogues
Including plant and seed catalogues, building supplies catalogues, department store mail order catalogues
L-R: (1) George Harrison & Co (Bradford): Linoleum, 2 yards wide. Ref: Eph-B-DECOR-1880s-01-06 (2) Te Aro Seed Company :Garden annual, 1931. Ref: Eph-A-HORTICULTURE-TeAro-1931-01-front (3) McFarlane & Co (Auckland, N.Z.): Malvern Star, the world's super cycle. Ref: Eph-B-CYCLE-1939-01-cover
Labels
Including canning labels and crate or bottle labels
L-R: (1) Gear Meat Company: Prime quality. . Ref: Eph-F-MEAT-Gear-004-1 (2) New Zealand National Airways Corporation: NZ NAC. Ref: Eph-A-AVIATION-Labels-03
Theatre programmes
Including performances in music, drama, opera, circuses, and other variety shows. For productions after 1950, we concentrate on collecting material from the Wellington region.
L to R: (1) Theatre Royal Christchurch "So this is love". . Ref: Eph-A-OPERA-1930-01-front (2) The Kiwis Revue Company. His Majesty's Auckland. . Ref: Eph-A-VARIETY-1950-02-cover (3) J C Williamson Ltd present Anna Pavlova and her Ballet Russe, H.M. Theatre Dunedin, commencing Tuesday June 29th1926. Ref: Eph-A-DANCE-1926-02
Agricultural show programmes and posters
Including national and regional exhibitions.
L to R: (1) Exhibition axemen's carnival. World's & New Zealand 1914 championships. Domain Cricket Ground. Second day Feb 281914. Ref: Eph-A-EXHIBITION-1914-01-cover (2) Waikato Winter Show, Hamilton, 29th May to 5th June, 1928. Show. Rail excursion. Ref: Eph-E-RAIL-1928-01
Sports programmes and posters
Covering major codes and athletics.
L to R: (1) Women's cricket. England v N.Z. Lancaster Park, Feb 16th & 18th . Ref: Eph-D-CRICKET-1935-01 (2) The third Springboks First New Zealand tour. Official souvenir programme,1921]. Ref: Eph-A-RUGBY-1921-01-front
Calendars
L to R: (1) Loloma Mai Viti; Calendar. . Ref: Eph-B-FIJI-1948-01-front (2) Family Hotel, Otaki :, 1952. Ref: Eph-B-HOTEL-1952-01
Menus
L to R: (1) New Zealand Shipping Company :S.S. "Aorangi". Breakfast bill of fare. 1883. Ref: Eph-A-SHIP-1883-01 (2) Sanitarium Health Food Company :Menu, Vegetarian cafe. . Ref: Eph-B-DINING-1933-01 (3) THC Gala. Christmas dinner, The Hermitage, Mount Cook 1963. . (3) Ref: Eph-B-HOTEL-Mt-Cook-1963-01
Postcards and greeting cards
L to R: (1) Best wishes. To greet you for a right happy Christmas. Ref: Eph-A-CARDS-Christmas-1900/1910-01-closed (2) Kia ora. For old times sake. Ref: Eph-A-CARDS-Christmas-1900-01 (3) He awhina! Translation - "A friendly wish". Ref: Eph-A-CARDS-Christmas-1934-01
Categories and collections within the Ephemera Collection
The Cabot Collection
Charles Henry Cabot, 1890-1978, was a theatrical agent, and collector of entertainment programmes and posters. He left the family bakery business to join the Empire Picture Company in 1911-1912 and toured with circuses as a publicity agent. In 1926, he set himself up in Wellington as a pre-publicity agent for any shows that might come along. His large poster and programme collection, spread across nearly 250 individual folders of various sizes, features circus, magic and variety shows, and many overseas singers and musicians.
L to R: (1) Nicola, world’s master magician . Ref: Eph-E-CABOT-Magic-1938-01 (2) Mi Re Do; celebrated original eccentric comedy musical act. Ref: Eph-E-CABOT-Circus-Australia-1910-01 (3) Paul Pedrini and his Royal Zambesi Baboons. . Ref: Eph-E-CABOT-Circus-1929-01
Political ephemera and protest
Ephemeral material captures the mood of the moment, has its finger on the pulse of political and public opinion. The Ephemera Collection collects such material from the past and the present.
L to R: (1) Meeting, tonight, Thursday ... charges of peculation and jobbery… 1855. Ref: Eph-D-POLITICS-Wellington-1855-01 (2) Notice to epicene women. Ref: Eph-B-WOMEN-1902-01 (3) The big brewers want 10 p.m. and bigger profits...Vote for six as closing time. . Ref: Eph-D-ALCOHOL-Hours-1949-01-1
New Zealand at war
New Zealand’s wars have always been strongly represented in the advertising, campaigning, and propaganda of the day.
L to R: (1) "Kia ora". Hancock's "Imperial" ale, stout. Calendar 1917. Ref: Eph-D-WAR-WI-1917-02 (2) Victory 1946 calendar. Ref: Eph-C-WAR-WII-1946-02 (3) "We can give it!" Buy YOUR Bonds TODAY! Ref: Eph-D-WAR-WII-1942-01
Popular culture and everyday life
Pieces of ephemera from past years can remind us of trends and fashions, the texture of our environment, and our daily lives.
L to R: (1) The 1967 Golden Disc spectacular. Ref: Eph-B-CABOT-Music-1967-01-cover (2) Do it yourself (for her) with Laminex Ref: Eph-A-DECOR-1955-01 (3) New Zealand full-cream cheese Ref: Eph-F-CHEESE-1930s-01
New Zealanders overseas
The Ephemera Collection collects theatre programmes and posters for New Zealand actors, dancers, musicians and sportspeople overseas.
L to R: Rawei, "a young native evangelist from New Zealand" Ref: Eph-A-MAORI-CONCERT-1896-01 (2) Kathleen Cruickshank, first song recital Ref: Eph-B-MUSIC-GB-1923-01 (3) Grand Theatre, Blackpool … The wind and the rain, by Merton Hodge Ref: Eph-D-DRAMA-Hodge-1943-01
More about the Alexander Turnbull Library collections
Access to the Printed Ephemera Collection
Original materials in the collection are available in the Library's Katherine Mansfield Reading Room.
Digital copies of some items are shown online through their catalogue descriptions. To see them, use the Gallery view when looking at a search result. Additional photographic and digital copies of some pictorial items are also available in the Library's Reading Room.
Get copies from items in this collection
The Library can provide copies of available ephemera material if copying does not harm the physical state of the original, or breach copyright. We provide photocopies for research purposes, or digital copies for publication. As an alternative to photocopies, visitors may use their own digital cameras to make copies for private research purposes only.