The Printed Ephemera Collection forms part of the Alexander Turnbull Library collections.
The collection has more than 150,000 ephemera items dating from the 1840s to the present. Subject strengths include theatre and entertainment, politics and activism, horticulture, war, Māori, tourism, alcohol, and environmental issues.
Types of items include:
- posters - including advertisements, protest posters, political, theatre, and music posters
- pamphlets - including advertising, political propaganda, tourist brochures
- sales catalogues - including plant and seed catalogues, building supplies catalogues, department store mail order catalogues
- theatre programmes for performances in music, drama, opera, circuses, and other variety shows. For productions after 1950, we concentrate on collecting material from the Wellington Region.
- agricultural show programmes
- sports programmes covering major codes and athletics
- calendars
- menus
- postcards and greeting cards
- bookplates.
More about the Alexander Turnbull Library collections
Access items in this collection
Search for descriptions of items from the Printed Ephemera Collection using TAPUHI. Not all items are described online. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, contact the Ephemera Librarian.
Digital copies of selected items are on Timeframes. Photographic copies of some pictorial items are also available in Turnbull Library Pictures on the ground floor.
You can request single, small items from the collection at the Research Centre on the first floor of the Library.
For research
enquiries, access to items in larger formats, or groups of material, make an
appointment to visit the collection on the second floor.
More about Turnbull Library Pictures
Get copies from items in this collection
The Library can provide copies of ephemera material if it does not harm the physical state of the original, or breach copyright. We provide photocopies for research purposes, or digital copies for publication.
More about copyright and usage
Get help
We can answer your enquiries in person, by letter, phone or email. The Ephemera Librarian is on hand to help you on weekdays. An appointment may be necessary.
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