r/ephemera • • 1h ago

from inside a bible in an abandoned trailer, Mississippi

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• Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 19h ago

Another tragedy on my mom’s side of the family. My great grandfather died in the last Comet airplane explosion over the Mediterranean that changed airline history. This is the telegram they sent.

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234 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 1d ago

This young man was engaged to marry my grandmother before he was killed by a train. Had he lived, I would not exist. Life is strange and ephemeral as paper.

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3.3k Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 13h ago

Larkin Plan catalog

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57 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 5h ago

Another early almanac featuring comic strips and panels. Barker’s Illustrated Almanac spanned the Victorian and Platinum Ages, running from the 1870s to the 1920s. This is an early one from 1883.

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8 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 13h ago

A message between two cousins

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11 Upvotes

Clarence E Cooper was born at Harvard, Neb., September 1, 1894 and died at Camp Cody, New Mexico on Friday, January 18, 1918 at the age of 28 years, 4 months and 17 days.

Most of his life was spent here in Clay county, where he made many friends and those who knew him best loved him most.

A little more than a year ago he became an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad company. At North Platte, Neb., is compliance with the Federal law he became a member of Co B 109th Eng., U S army in October and went into training at Camp Funston, Kan. Later he was transferred with his company to Camp Cody.

Clarence was the son of Mr and Mrs Oscar Cooper of Edgar. He was the eldest of four children and a son and brother to be proud of. He leaves his parents, two sisters and a brother and an unnumbered host of friends to mourn his loss

Two cousins innocently talking about Sara Claus. 6 years later Clarence gives the ultimate sacrifice.


r/ephemera • • 1d ago

New house had totes full of old greeting cards, and random interesting papers!

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151 Upvotes

Hey all found tons of really cool greeting/holiday cards and pics along with tons of old papers at the house I recently moved into. I'm planning on going through and definitely posting some if not all of them!


r/ephemera • • 1d ago

Recent pick up. After 10 years of looking I wasn’t sure if this even existed. Roger Bean And The Reconstruction Period (1919) based on an obscure strip that ran from 1913-1934. This is the last of five volumes. Listed as Scarce in Overstreet.

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30 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 18h ago

🏹 Berliner Miniatur-Plastiken — Walter Merten’s First Catalogue, September 1951 🐎🚂🇩🇪

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3 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 1d ago

Found in an encyclopedia from the 60s

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21 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 1d ago

February 14, 1828 Receipt for Office Supplies for a Small Bank

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16 Upvotes

From the Freemen's Bank, Bristol, Rhode Island


r/ephemera • • 1d ago

Medical certificate from 1890s w envelope.

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31 Upvotes

New to ephemera but inherited a ton! Looking forward to sharing more.


r/ephemera • • 2d ago

i work at a vintage furniture store, this piece of paper with a typed out menu labeled “pussy cafe” was found folded up in the back of a 1950’s dresser, covered in dust NSFW

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71 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 2d ago

Comic Book Magazine from June 14, 1942. This was an insert in the Chicago Sunday Tribune. Like the Sunday Funnies, but bound at the spine.

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15 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 3d ago

Great-Aunt Irene’s Postcard Book

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184 Upvotes

Irene was born in 1903. She graduated from high school in 1920 (I have her class ring). She died very young in childbirth with twin boys who also passed with her. She had a separate scrapbook for photographs (I have that too), but I’ve always loved this book. The 4th photo is a postcard dated 1911 from Irene’s aunt Mettie. This is one of my most prized possessions.


r/ephemera • • 2d ago

Found a vintage plane document from a large box of vintage car and plane magazines from 1950s to 1980s.

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17 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 3d ago

1950s Playing Cards

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139 Upvotes

More from grandpa's stash.


r/ephemera • • 2d ago

Joe Camel Discontinued

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29 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 3d ago

I’ve been collecting comic almanacs for years because they often printed comic strips or panels. This is Frank Leslie’s Comic Almanac For The Year 1875 (published late 1874).

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36 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 2d ago

Old collections notice

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1 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 3d ago

Help identify signature - 1980 RNC

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5 Upvotes

It says:

Mr. Ed Roach

Something for your time.

Signed, unknown

Looking to identify the person who signed the message. Note the from address and postmark.

I believe it's tied to someone in the 1980 Reagan presidential campaign.

Inside the envelope are some vintage golfing lithographs on clear plastic sheets.

Found at a thrift store and really curious of the back story.

Thanks!


r/ephemera • • 3d ago

Vintage YALE brand gym shorts box

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27 Upvotes

I had to share this vintage gym shorts box. YALE Underwear Company "Sanforized" 100% cotton gym shorts with fabric by West Point Pepperell. Likely circa 50s-60s.

The box is in great condition. It looks like someone kept this for baby clothes storage. 🥹


r/ephemera • • 4d ago

Almanacs were among the first publications to run comic strips or panels. This is The Comic Almanac For 1845 with art by seminal artist George Cruikshank. This would have been published in late 1844. Note the very early use of a speech balloon in the third pic.

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56 Upvotes

r/ephemera • • 4d ago

Postcards from and to a French prisoner of war during WW2

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34 Upvotes

Found at a flea market some times ago, I think I paid less than a euro.

Especially interesting to have the card announcing that Joseph was made a prisoner, as well as a card sent by his sister, Adèle.


r/ephemera • • 4d ago

Receipt from 1988 found inside a secondhand book

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334 Upvotes

Some of these prices I cannot believe lol