I find the definition of “Ephemera” quite fascinating. The dictionaries say something like “collectable items that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity.”
I have a great collection of “ephemera” and I am so glad that I have kept it. I have items I have collected (or perhaps not thrown away, since my birth. The first few years are represented by photos, but one of the earliest items is a certificate from “The Australian Children’s Newspaper” which has no date. Strangely a lot of certificates of those days were not dated. My Queen’s Guide certificate from around 1960 also has no date.
I have a big plastic box full of many items and today I set out to “declutter” and get rid of some of the items. In the end, it was impossible. I read some letter, I glanced at others and put them all back in the box. There is too much wonderful information about me and my family to dispose of. I wonder what will happen to it when I pass away.
As someone who promotes the writing of life stories, I see all this is invaluable. I could not remember all the dates and details of my life, but much of it is recorded within the box.
One item that was of interest was some many GOALS I recorded in 1997, after reading “The Aladdin Factor” – and I note that by the end of 1997, I had ticked of many of them, though of course, not all. There were 111!!!
My Resume’s – are interesting reads along with many letters giving details of previous employment and even some glowing letters from former employers.
All these are valuable tools for writing one’s life story. So much easier to do when you have the sort of information I have collected.
These give me the dates and some detail – but the stories I have to remember myself though there are the letters to and from my parents…………..
The photo below was in the Adelaide Advertiser, around 1961 I think. That is me – the tall one on the left.