This collection of promotional brochures and publications is organized in sections: Cities (99 binders, 2,502 items); Railroads, Hotels, Steamships and Bus Lines (25 binders, 700 items); State Publications on Tourism, Immigration and Agriculture (16 binders, 260 items); Guides, Maps, View Books, Postcards, Letters (15 binders, 950 items); Hotels, Motels and Restaurants (9 binders, 823 items); Attractions (17 binders, 1,789 items); Illustrated Adventure Stories (1 binder, 13 items); and Government Documents and Miscellaneous Materials (10 binders, no count).
An Excel spreadsheet provides text-based descriptions of contents. It includes a genre designation for each item (e.g., flyer, leaflet, pamphlet – see glossary terms); a geographical affiliation; a date of publication; excerpts from the text; and an identification number.
Materials are available for in-room use in the Grand Reading Room of Special & Area Studies Collections. Individual items can be scanned upon request. We will not do large-scale or bulk scanning of materials.
[The index has been periodically updated by two graduate research assistants Rachel Walton (2013 ) and Catherine Stiefel (2019), and by student assistant Christine Reynolds (2020). Updates are ongoing.]
Glossary of Terms for Genre/Format of Materials
Brochures, Types of:
- Flyer/Handbill –single-sheet notices, usually unfolded, which may be printed on both sides (often on only one side) and intended for wide distribution by hand, mail, public posting, or other means.
- Leaflet – a type of brochure consisting of a single printed sheet with different pages made by folding, printing on both sides of sheet.
- Pamphlet/Booklet – short, non-serial, bound printed work of more than one sheet and under 49 pages, usually with a soft cover and a stitched or stapled binding; a booklet.
Guides and Tour Books – annuals and yearbooks, varying length and format. Includes Kim’s Guide, Standard Guide, items labeled as tourist guide books. Many of these are in Oversize because they are thick and bulky.
Misc. Publications – (catch all for things that do not fall into above categories) publications, including but not limited to descriptions of state, manuals, literature, government publications, and books of varying length.
Schedules and Timetables – documents, leaflets, or pamphlets used for organizing the time of events (train, ferry, calendar, airline, etc.). Can be folded and look like a leaflet, but usually content is related to timetables, rates, stops, distances.
Newspapers and Periodicals – serial publications (daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal) containing news of current events, informative articles, and advertisements, usually printed on newsprint or magazine stock. Includes standard-sized and tabloid-sized newspapers, issues of magazines or journals, magazine articles, trade publications, newsletters, hotel guest publications (“what to do, what to see”), etc.
Sheet music – lyrics and instrumentation of a song or musical number.
Certificate – official document attesting to the truth of a fact, qualification, or promise. (Examples: land titles, deeds, wills, bonds, and other standard forms of financial nature documenting ownership)
Receipt – written acknowledgment of purchase of goods, property, and/or services in exchange for a specified sum of money. This can include bills, checks, and other evidence of payment.
Map – visual representation of an area. (Examples: folding maps, road maps, railroad maps, sightseeing maps, maps of attractions, etc.).
Souvenir – (other than Postcards and View Books) memento, keepsake, gift, or miscellaneous item. (Examples: coasters, tickets, passes & passports, luggage tags, decks of cards, matchbooks, mini-packets of photos or images [Bardells], stickers, badges, placemats, napkins, games, scrapbooks, invitations, mileage distance meters, bookmarks, etc.).
Label – paper adhesive intended to go on exterior of product (Examples – citrus box label, can label, etc.).
View Book – small bound collection of photos and/or pictures, varying in size and format and usually dating from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Earlier versions have embossed cardboard covers with decorative tassels or string. SEE ALSO POSTCARD.
Letter – written correspondence, not on letterhead.
Letterhead – sheet of official stationery with a standard heading usually consisting of a name, address, logo, and/or design.
Postcard – piece of mail, usually of thick paper or cardstock, intended for use without an envelope, often with an image on one side and a space for correspondence on the alternate side (5 ½” by 3”). This also includes packets that can be addressed and mailed containing a series of postcards (4” by 6” in accordion fold). Packets should be differentiated from View Books. Note: Bardell’s mini-packets of small images should be coded as Souvenir.
Card – thick piece of paper or cardstock the size of a post card or smaller. (Examples: business cards, dance cards, ads, greeting cards, etc.). Also mailing cards, usually larger than postcards. Also greetings/holiday cards.
Menu – listed selection of food and/or meals from a specific venue.
Program – list of the pieces, performers, speakers, etc., of an event or ceremony. Also includes meeting minutes and summaries.
Photographs – images produced by a camera.
Envelope
References
Library of Congress, Printed Ephemera: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rbpehtml/pegenre.html
Ephemera Society of America: http://www.ephemerasociety.org/articles/lla-adams.html
Society of American Archivists: http://www.archivists.org/glossary