Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!
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'Tis The Season Of Ephemera
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Paper tears. Paper gets thrown away. Paper catches fire. But most of all, paper is collected. Paper, also known as ephemera, is one of the fastest growing collecting categories, and perfume and compact collectors know the best way to learn about our collections is through their paper trail.
The tidbits of information that can be found on old photographs, pamphlets, advertisements, trade cards and a myriad of other paper memorabilia can lead to discovering more about those mystery items in our collections.
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Here are three examples of ephemera: Lorenz Perfume Company envelope, 1917 Little Fairies Bath Perfume Powder calendar, Ramses Perfume 1919 stock certificate.
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The ephemera collection at Perfume Passage continues to expand. Our quest for knowledge is never ending, and it's through this collection that the history and documentation of artifacts is preserved.
The word ephemera comes from the Greek word ephemeros, meaning "lasting a day." Ephemera is defined as any written or printed item that was not meant to be kept or preserved, and was originally expected to have only a short-term usefulness. Maurice Rickards, a scholar, author and collector of paper items described ephemera as "the minor transient documents of everyday life."
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Rickards (1919-1998) founded The Ephemera Society of England and helped to establish the Ephemera Society of America. His 2000 book, The Encyclopedia of Ephemera, was aimed at curators, collectors, and historians and includes over 550 entries of paper collectibles.
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Advertisements began in the 15th and 16th centuries with the development of printing. In the 17th century, weekly newspapers in London started to include advertisements, and some of the earliest ads were for quack medicines! These ads helped the newspapers defray the costs of printing and distribution. By the 18th century, advertising was commonplace, and the first advertising agencies were basically brokers for space in the newspapers.
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"Santa Delivering Lanvin Perfume Gifts in his Coach" 1950's
Original watercolor by Warren Alexander Montel (1921-2001). The artist was an illustrator who worked for the major fashion magazines of the day including Harper's Bazaar & Vogue during the 1950s..
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Throughout the 1900s, advertising grew rapidly with radio, television, and direct mailings. Today, mobile marketing is one of the most effective ways to attract consumers.
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Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme Original Press Photo
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Collectors know that digital ads can't compare to good old fashion newspaper and magazine ads to help us learn the history about our collections. Magazine and newspaper advertisements are a popular ephemera collectible as the products found in these early ads are a treasure trove of information, and a great way to date perfumes and vanity items.
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This 1919 ad for Colgate products is promoting "useful gifts, not gimcracks" for Christmas!
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It's been said that collectors fall into two groups - those that collect objects and those that collect based on subject. Perfume, compact and ephemera collectors actually fall into both of these categories!
The ephemera that tells stories about our perfumes and compacts survived because of their importance, and some ephemera was produced to be collected and saved, such as postcards, stamps, and trade cards.
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Here are some examples of Christmas themed postcards, greeting cards and trade cards.
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Here are some examples of Christmas dipslay relating to perfume items.
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4711 Christmas cologne store promo display that reads:
Und jeder fand die rechte Gabe - "And everyone found the right gift."
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Santa display that held British Sterling mini cologne bottles from the 1970s by the Speidel company from Providence, Rhode Island.
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This is simply the tip of the iceberg when sharing the Perfume Passage ephemera collection. Our next PassageWay will include additional ephemera displays and advertisements with perfume and vanity items.
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Continue to share our newsletter with your friends and encourage others to sign up!
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We wish you a safe and happy New Year.
Don't wait another day, please share our newsletter with anyone you know who may not be receiving it or would be interested in learning more about Perfume Passage. Click on the link below and stay in the know.
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We Look Forward to Seeing You in 2022!
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We will be reopening soon with the following offerings.
- Private docent-guided tours
- Group tours
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Symphony of Scents and Sounds
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