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Ephemera

The Ephemera Society defines ephemera as:

...a wide range of documents including leaflets, handbills, tickets, trade cards, programmes and playbills, printed tins and packaging, advertising inserts, posters, newspapers and much more. In the words of the society’s founder, Maurice Rickards, “the minor transient documents of everyday life”.

Much of the history of sexual (and other) subcultures is wrapped up in their ephemera - the items that were not meant to be saved, but somehow survived the ravages of time. In kinky subcultures ephemera often takes the form of flyers, business cards, envelopes, letters, postcards, newsletters, and posters. Such historical information can also be found in non-paper items such as backpatches, run pins, flags, and clothing.

Below is a list of a few of the items of ephemera in my collection. I have many thousands of items, so this list will grow as I continue to catalog everything. In order to make the database more metadata-friendly, I have opted to use the Dublin Core categories during the cataloging process.


Title: Esoteria Personal Ad Form
Description: Free Offfer with Purchase of $10.00 or more - Personal Ad, Limit (one ad per customer)
Publisher: Esoteria
Type: personal ad form
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 10
Source: Esoteria
Language: English
 
Title: Gay Birds Illustration - A Few of My Things
Creator: Judy Tallwing McCarthy
Description: Illustration for greeting cards, says "Gay Birds", "A Few of My Things", "Tallwing", "copyright 1987", has bird with strapon, dildo, crops, metal handcuffs, leather cuffs
Publisher: later published in Drummer
Contributor: Tony DeBlase
Type: original illustration
Format: card stock illustration
Identifier: 5
Language: English
 
Title: Gay Birds Illustration - Birdday To You
Creator: Judy Tallwing McCarthy
Description: Illustration for greeting cards, says "Gay Birds", "Birdday to You", has bird in leather sling hanging by chains, burning candles on stomach, leather cuffs
Publisher: later published in Drummer
Contributor: Tony DeBlase
Date: 1/1/1987
Type: original illustration
Format: card stock illustration
Identifier: 4
Language: English
 
Title: Kris Studios Full-Nude Art Poses Order Form
Creator: Chuck Renslow
Description: Photo Sets: Swinging Duals - Beau Michaels and John McCain (#177), The Naked Trucker - Stan Ellin (#118), The Guardsman - Jack Stafford (#119)
Contributor: Etienne (Dom Orejudos)
Type: order form
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 9
Source: Kris Studios
Language: English
 
Title: Kris Studios Novelty Sets Featuring the Male Nude order form
Creator: Chuck Renslow
Description: Three photo sets listed: Soldiers 'n Sailors - Kurt Inman, John Parrish, Dan Peerce, Peter Roth, John Sequira, Don Post, Dennis Gaulke, Jack Sullivan (#67 and 68), Garry Price in Leather! (#69), Variety Pack No. 4 - Ron Rector, Mike Lavelle, Jerry Roquemore, Ed McDermott, Larry Majewski, Bob Storrs (#70)
Publisher: Kris Studios
Contributor: Etienne (Dom Orejudos)
Type: order form
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 7
Source: Kris Studios
Language: English
 
Title: Kris Studios Super Duals! Photo Sets Order Form
Creator: Chuck Renslow
Description: Photo sets: Alan Primus and Butch Frost (#120 and 121), Bedtime for David Kardman and Paul Jahn (#122), Nick Rossi and Frank D'Arcy (#123 and 124)
Contributor: Etienne (Dom Orejudos)
Type: order form
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 8
Source: Kris Studios
Language: English
 
Title: Leather Archives and Museum Annual Report to Members For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004
Creator: Leather Archives and Museum
Subject: annual report
Description: annual report for the Leather Archives and Museum sent to members
Publisher: Leather Archives and Museum
Contributor: Chuck Renslow, President
Date: 12/31/04
Type: annual report
Format: digest
Identifier: 1
Source: Leather Archives and Museum - mailing
Language: English
Coverage: world
Rights: Leather Archives and Museum
 
Title: Spartacus Sailor Strip Tease Card #1 of 2 cards
Creator: Spartacus
Description: nude male paper doll, date unknown, possibly from Physique Pictorial #17, January 1969
Publisher: Physique Pictorial
Date: 1/1/1969
Type: paper doll
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 2
Source: Physique Pictorial #17
Language: English
 
Title: Spartacus Sailor Strip Tease Card #2 of 2 cards
Creator: Spartacus
Description: paper clothing for nude male paper doll, date unknown, possibly from Physique Pictorial #17, January 1969
Publisher: Physique Pictorial
Date: 1/1/1969
Type: paper doll clothing
Format: single sheet
Identifier: 3
Source: Physique Pictorial #17
Language: English
 
Title: Subjective Character Analysis sheet
Creator: Physique Pictorial
Description: photocopied sheet to use in deciphering astrological symbols under the pictures of models in Physique Pictorial
Publisher: Physique Pictorial
Type: character analysis of models
Format: single photocopied sheet
Identifier: 6
Source: Physique Pictorial
Language: English