Into the Briar Patch of the Ephemera Collections

by Gerald Zientara

Have you ever saved a matchbook from a favorite bar? Or the program from the memorial of a beloved friend? Maybe a dance club card with a picture of a sexy guy? If so, then you’ve been a collector of ephemera, and in saving these materials, you’ve preserved a bit of our LGBTQ cultural heritage.

“Ephemera” is a fifty-cent word from the Greek hemeros, meaning “day”; it crops up in such words as “hemerocallis,” the daylily, for instance. In archival lingo, ephemera are materials, usually printed, that advertise, commemorate or otherwise call attention to a location or an event. Ticket stubs, matchbooks, programs, bills, flyers, want ads, posters and other such items are usually discarded soon after their short-term usefulness.

Precious Mementos

For those of us who collect souvenirs, however, these odd bits are precious mementos. Because the LGBTQ community existed underground or in the shadows for so many years, in many cases, the rare ephemera that have survived are among the only records we have of the existence of long-gone queer people, activities, businesses and enterprises. Beyond their intrinsic charm, they are historically valuable.

When I started my stint as a volunteer at the GLBT Historical Society’s archives, about two-and-a-half years ago, I was asked if I might like to work with the society’s expansive ephemera collection. “Toss me into that briar patch!” I said, since I am a lifelong saver of such bits and bobs. Over the months, I have worked with programs, film posters, buttons, banners, postcards — many inscribed with poignant, loving messages — and a plethora of objects, all reflecting a variety of formats and cultural enterprises. Some are familiar, but many are new to me and are surprising.

Luckily, our archives are a home for this material. You can view some examples in the exhibitions on display at the museum, where you might catch yourself saying, “I have one of those!” We have limited space to display our huge ephemera collection, but it is our hope that when the GLBT Historical Society establishes its new LGBTQ Museum and Research Center, we’ll be able to share much more with the public.

Meanwhile, don’t throw anything away — we might need it some time down the road.

Gerald Zientara is a volunteer at the archives of the GLBT Historical Society.