Biomedical Ephemera, or, a Frog for your Boils is "A blog for all biological and medical ephemera, from the age of Abraham through the era of medical quackery and cure-all nostrums. Sometimes featuring illustrations of diseases and conditions of the times, sometimes fascinating ephemeral medical equipment, and sometimes clippings and information about the theories themselves." The
archive page is also a useful starting point.
via Things Magazine.
posted by Rumple
on Aug 29, 2011 -
8 comments
Home Kinks, part 1 and
part 2 - for years, Popular Mechanics Press published a series of tips, many from readers, in a special edition format they called "Household Kinks."
Scanning Around With Gene has posted a collection from 1940s and '50s editions.
posted by madamjujujive
on Feb 20, 2011 -
40 comments
"
I have started
an archive of photographs deemed "too hard to keep." The reason you can't live with the photo or photo album I do not need to know..."
posted by showbiz_liz
on Aug 12, 2010 -
37 comments
"
QSL cards confirm either a two-way radiocommunication between two amateur radio stations or a one-way reception of a signal from an AM radio, FM radio, television or shortwave broadcasting station. They can also confirm the reception of a two-way radiocommunication by a third party listener. A typical QSL card is the same size and made from the same material as a typical postcard, and most are sent through the mail as such."
Here's a substantial collection of them.
posted by dersins
on Oct 7, 2009 -
43 comments
In June of 2004, fifty-eight friends and acquaintances joined in a collaborative labor project that lasted for eight days. They were instrumental in organizing the
Prelinger Library in San Francisco, CA. One month from today will be the little library's fifth anniversary celebration. The
library project/ public art project/ art installation/ archive/ part information center is an
appropriation-friendly collection of books, periodicals,
zines, and print ephemera.
The library isn't organized by the Dewy Decimal system, but
sorted by Megan Prelinger into
four constant threads: landscape and geography; media and representation; historical consciousness; and political narratives from beyond the mainstream. The library is the less-known work of
Rick Prelinger, and his wife, Megan. Rick is most commonly known for his video collection, which is the primary source of
ephemera films on
archive.org. (
All things Prelinger previously)
posted by filthy light thief
on May 7, 2009 -
7 comments
User
El_Greco of the SkyscaperCity Forum presents
"Lost London", an absolutely stunning photographic thread of old London architecture.
posted by 6am
on Feb 25, 2009 -
21 comments
The Motel in America. In a different America, where the novelty of driving cross-country and the charm of the highway strip drew droves of tourists--and their automobiles--from coast to coast in the name of exploration and recreation, motels provided a home away from home for weary travelers. While many of the great motels of the mid-twentieth century have disappeared from the national landscape, the linen postcards left behind in the
Motel Morgue can give us a glimpse into what this era of American tourism and leisure looked like.
posted by sarabeth
on Feb 7, 2009 -
24 comments
Peace and War in the 20th Century is an ambitious, in progress, massive assemblage of posters, photographs, propaganda, ephemera, letters, diaries, paintings, sketches, stories, letters, music and related items, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The collection is international in scope. Some of the nodes lack content, and the navigation is a little confusing, so the jump I list some of my favourite case studies from their site.
[more inside]
posted by Rumple
on Jan 2, 2009 -
4 comments
Ladies, before you go searching for love from one of those online matchmaking sites, be sure to tally up your merits and demerits on this
Marital Rating Scale.
posted by Dave Faris
on May 14, 2008 -
70 comments
From about 1875 to the 1940s,
cigarette cards spurred tobacco sales. Sets offer a glimpse into the popculture of the times, spanning
newsmakers,
cinema celebrities, and
sports stars; cute illustrated subjects, like
"frisky" and
children with rosy cheeks; handy info like
air raid precautions,
first aid, and
amusing tricks; and neat stuff like
famous escapes,
exotic races, and
figures of speech. Browse
more fun sets of vintage images.
posted by madamjujujive
on Dec 11, 2007 -
21 comments
Morbid Anatomy - an excellent blog with a focus on art, medicine, death, and culture. Great viewing anytime, but it might also be a good reference source for any macabre seasonal celebrations!
posted by madamjujujive
on Oct 8, 2007 -
5 comments
Arkiva Tropika is a huge archive of tropical-themed ephemera. Browse restaurant and drink menus, postcards, photos, brochures and matchbooks. Hours and hours worth of retro tiki goodness.
posted by Otis
on Mar 8, 2007 -
9 comments
