Ephemera:

Ephemera is a broad term used to describe items of paper that were created for use in a short time span and meant to be thrown away after one or two uses. Items generally put into the ephemera category of collecting would be sheet music, posters, stock certificates, post cards, cigarette cards, magazines, catalogs, and the like.
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Ivory Snow

I found these cut outs in the bottom of one of the boxes.  I have no idea why Madeline clipped these out and kept them, other than the cool graphics.  Maybe she was ahead of her time!












Friday, January 15, 2010

Valentine or Calling Card?



Is this a Valentine or a calling card? It was in a small envelope with a handwritten note which was faded from age. From what I could make out, the note indicated that the writer would be pleased to spend an afternoon with the recipient. The card is just 2" by 3". Inside the card is written:

Oh, If I fail your heart to move,

And tis not yours to give,

I cannot, will not, cease to love,

But I will cease to live.


Hallmark doesn't make them like that any more.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Anagrams



I love the artwork on this game box!  Not much information on the box other than the number "4164" and "Milton Bradley Co., Springfield Mass USA".  Inside are a lot of paper letters like this:


Handwritten on back is "Madeline, from Aunt Gny".  I remember her telling me one time that she liked to play this game as a little girl.




Saturday, January 2, 2010

Kellogg's Funny Jungleland Moving-Pictures


I was looking at one of Madeline's many scrapbooks and this little gem popped out.  It is a very colorful cardboard booklet of animals doing silly things.  The back cover dates it as 1932, No. 210A.


The middle panel has 6 overpanels so you can mix and match and make some crazy animal scenes.  Very clever and creative art work.  This kiddie tryptich booklet was first introduced as a premium by Kellogg in 1909, available free with the purchase of two boxes of cereal.  The promotion continued for 23 years, with this booklet being the last one issued. 




Page one of the booklet

Example of an inside page.

I can imagine Madeline receiving this booklet and immediately placing it in her scrapbook for safekeeping.  I don't even want to think about all the neat items I have found in cereal boxes over the years and failed to keep.  The booklet is actually in very good shape. 

Friday, January 1, 2010

Valentine Hankies



I came across some old hankies that Madeline had saved. I picked out some pretty Valentine and Christmas ones for my project. I'm just showing the Valentine ones in this post. These hankies are really beautiful and a work of art. I cannot imagine blowing my nose in them! Of course hankies were used for more than that purpose. They came in handy when you were watching a sad movie or when you wanted to get the attention of a handsome gentleman.


There is said to be an old Irish proverb that says, "Always carry two handkerchiefs, one for show and one for blow".



 For more information on vintage hankies and to see some colorful and pretty ones, check out this website!



Madeline was raised to be a proper young lady so I think these hankies were used at one time in her life.  However, at some point she abandoned their use on a daily basis.  There is a very cute story about Madeline with some of her grandchildren and how a hankie would have come in use for her.  We were vacationing on Cape Cod one summer and Madeline and four of her grandchildren went for a walk.  At some point on the walk she needed to blow her nose, and having nothing on her person to do this, grabbed a big leaf off a tree and used that.  She made the children swear never to tell anyone she did that, but kids being kids, someone told on her.  I think it's a cute story and chuckle even now remembering it.  Those grandchildren are all in their 20's now.  Plus it only serves to remind me just how self-sufficient she was.