The Printed Ephemera Collection forms part of the Alexander Turnbull Library collections.
The collection has more than 180,000 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
Planned changes to collection access
Our collections will be relocated while the Library building in Wellington is being redeveloped. During the relocation period, some collections will be available in two temporary locations: Archives New Zealand and a location on Thorndon Quay.
Relocation period availability:
- Most original materials in the Printed Ephemera Collection will be unavailable.
- Digitised images will continue to be available, and can be ordered.
- Some original materials will be available through the Client-Held Collection at Archives New Zealand.
We expect to finalise the dates of the relocation later in 2009. We will give you at least one month’s notice of collection access changes and closures.
For more information email atl@natlib.govt.nz
Find out more about planned changes to collection access
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 ground 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. As an alternative to photocopies, visitors may use their own digital cameras to make copies for private research purposes only.
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.
| Contact Us | Alexander Turnbull Library collections |
|---|
