Brooklyn ephemera collection
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Abstract
The Brooklyn ephemera collection consists of catalogs, postcards, business cards, fliers, circulars, and other remnants of daily life in Brooklyn. Major portions of the collection relate to Brooklyn Public Library, local businesses, churches, and schools.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject. Ephemera from similar sources are grouped under one subject heading (i.e. "Banks" and "Restaurants"), with sub-categories for each establishment, person, or organization as needed.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains historic and contemporary printed ephemera of Brooklyn. Although often created for temporary, practical business and social needs (i.e., a ticket stub for a dance or a business card), printed ephemera can often reveal much more nuanced information about the time and place in which it was produced. Commercial businesses, schools, municipal boards and commissions, and other clubs and organizations produced the material that is in this collection, which spans more than 150 years of Brooklyn history.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item/descriptive title, date (if known); Folder title; Brooklyn ephemera collection, BCMS_0007; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This is an artifical composite collection made up of materials from many different sources acquired over several years.
Accruals
Accruals have been and will continue to be frequently added.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This is an artificial collection compiled by Brooklyn Collection staff over many years. In January 2023, the "Schools" folders were removed to the Brooklyn schools collection (CBHM.0006). In October 2025, a paper Red Cross "flag" from 1919 was added to this collection after being removed from the Brooklyn Historical Society mixed manuscript collection (1974.037). In April 2026, materials from the "newspapers and periodicals" section of this collection were moved to the Brooklyn Historical Society newspaper collection (ARC.258) and one issue of The Brooklyn Teacher magazine (1901) was moved to the Brooklyn schools collection (CBHM.0006). In May 2026, the collection was intellectually rearranged by Dee Bowers. At that time, additional newspapers and periodicals were removed to ARC.258 and the Pratt Institute collection (1985.056), the items in the Maps folder were foldered under other subjects as appropriate, and non-Brooklyn materials were removed to the Brooklyn Historical Society vertical files (ARC.315).
