Williamsburg (Va.) Area Ephemera Collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Williamsburg (Va.) Ephemera Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Summary

Extent:
14.60 Linear Feet
Creator:
Special Collections Research Center
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Williamsburg (Va.) Ephemera Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection covers the Greater Williamsburg Area, including Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, James City County, York County and other nearby communities. It includes gifts and purchases whose contents are ephemeral in nature and not well-suited as stand-alone collections. The items are usually transient documents of everyday life and can include menus, flyers, advertisements, and programs but can also be postcards, games, ticket stubs, and the like.

The majority of materials in Series 2 have been collected and contributed by the Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA). New items will be added on an ongoing basis. For this reason, the indicated date range is approximate at this point.

Most tourist related ephemera is filed under Series 2, Area Attractions. The remainder of the ephemera relates to the activities, government and life of the local residents of the Williamsburg area.

Some of the 20th century ephemera was accessioned as gifts from The Williamsburg Press (owner Bill Royal) and the Virginia Gazette but are filed by subject.

Biographical / historical:

Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Acquisition information:
Most accessions are gifts via the Williamsburg Historical Records Association. Includes Acc. 1995.52, 1996.37, 1996.10; 1996.26;1996.28; 1998.43; 1999.02; 1999.13; 1999.25; 2000.25;2001.25; 2002.20; 2003.19; 2003.24; 2003.30; 2003.33; 2003.62; 2004.21; 2004.28; 2005.08; 2005.09; 2005.43 2006.20; 2006.83; 2007.07; Acc. 2007.08; 2007.95; 2008.01; 2008.09; 2008.40; 2008.65; 2009.112; 2009.014; 2009.12;0 2009.009 and 2009.330. For information on accession received after May 2009, please consult a staff member.
Processing information:

Accessions starting in 2009 were accessioned and processed by Ute Schechter and Ben Bromley. Items from the backlog were entered by Anne Johnson in 2008 with further detail added by Alex Dodd in 2009.

In April 2015, the collection was reorganized into subject and genre, removing the associated accession numbers except with Series 2, Sub-series 4, Photographs. The Tatler newsletter was transferred to Rare Books. Some emphemera material was transferred to existing collections, such as the Woman's Club of Williamsburg. Newspaper clippings with biographical information about local citizens or of historical interest were kept and filed in the subseries Clippings. Obituary clippings were removed.

Arrangement:

Series 1 is a single collection of postcards, ephemera, and research. In Series 2, the ephemera is divided into subjects, and in Series 3, the ephemera is divided into genre.

Accruals:

Additions are being made to this collection on an ongoing basis.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Agricultural exhibitions--Virginia--Williamsburg
Agriculture--Virginia--History--19th century
Baptist Church--Virginia--History
College of William and Mary--Presidents
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation--History
Education--Virginia--Williamsburg--19th century
Jamestown Festival (1957)
Land use--Virginia--Williamsburg
Matthew Whaley School (Williamsburg, Va.)
Methodist Church--Virginia--Williamsburg
Postcards--Virginia
Public libraries--Cultural programs
Restaurants--Virginia--Williamsburg
Theater
Transportation--Virginia
Occasion for the Arts
Announcements
Broadsides
Bumper Stickers
Calendars
Clippings (information artifacts)
Editorials
Fliers (printed matter)
Greeting cards
Invitations
Journals (periodicals)
Maps
Menus
Microfilms
Obituaries
Pamphlets
Photographs
Postcards
Postcards--Virginia--Jamestown
Posters
Prints
Programs
Reports
Signs (declaratory or advertising artifacts)
Speeches
Names:
Bruton Parish Church (Williamsburg, Va.)
Busch Gardens (Williamsburg, Va.)
Educational and Civic Association (Williamsburg, Va.)
Middle Plantation Agricultural Society (Williamsburg, Va.)
Miss Williamsburg Pageant (Va.)
Mt. Ararat Baptist Church (Williamsburg, Va.)
Peninsula News (Toano, Va.)
Peninsula Transit Corporation
Pulaski Club (Williamsburg, Va.)
The Palace (Williamsburg, Va.)
The Virginia Comedians
Unitarian Church (Williamsburg, Va.)
United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association. Chapter #609 (Williamsburg, Va.)
Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, Va.)
Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission
Virginia Shakespeare Festival
Williamsburg Baptist Church (Williamsburg, Va.)
Williamsburg Businessmen's Association (Va.)
Williamsburg Community Council (Williamsburg, Va.)
Williamsburg High School (Williamsburg, Va.)
Williamsburg Press, Inc
Williamsburg Theater (Williamsburg, Va.)
Mathews, Mary
Miller, Shirley Fout
Places:
Charles City County (Va.)--History--20th century
Isle of Wight County (Va.)--History--20th century
Jamestown (Va.)--History--20th century
Smithfield (Va.)--History--20th century
Virginia--Politics and Government--19th century
Williamsburg (Va.)--Civic league
Williamsburg (Va.)--History--18th century
Williamsburg (Va.)--History--20th century
Williamsburg (Va.)--History--21st century
Williamsburg (Va.)--History--Drama
Williamsburg (Va.)--Library
Williamsburg (Va.)--Maps
Williamsburg (Va.)--Newspapers
Williamsburg (Va.)--Photographs
Williamsburg (Va.)--Post Office
Williamsburg (Va.)--Restoration
Williamsburg (Va.)--Social life and customs
Williamsburg (Va.). 300th Anniversary Commission
Yorktown (Va.)
Yorktown (Va.)--History--20th century