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Printed exhibition ephemera: here to stay? A survey of UK and international art galleries and organisations undertaken at Chelsea College of Arts Library

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2016

Vicky Falconer*
Affiliation:
Library Assistant, Chelsea College of Arts Library, University of the Arts London, 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU Email: v.falconer@chelsea.arts.ac.uk
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Abstract

A survey was carried out at Chelsea College of Arts Library in 2015 to investigate the currency of printed art ephemera, and to inform the development of its collection. The questions were: 1. Does your institution produce printed exhibition ephemera (i.e. exhibition announcements, private view cards, posters, etc.)?; 2. If yes, does your institution distribute these items by post?; 3. Is your policy on the above likely to change in the foreseeable future? Do you have any comments about this or about anything else to do with exhibition ephemera? Distributed to 250 organisations, this article analyses the data gathered from the replies received.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © ARLIS/UK&Ireland 2016 

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References

1. Leiber, S. (ed.) Extra Art: A Survey of Artists’ Ephemera, 1960–1999 (Smart Art Press, 2001).

2. One recent example would be the research done by Tate Library, as described in Holly Callaghan’s article, 2013. Callaghan, Holly. “Electronic Ephemera: Collection, Storage and Access in Tate Library.” Art Libraries Journal 38, no. 1 (2013): 2731CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

3. Please Come to the Show 2013 MOMA Library; Senior, David (ed.) Please Come to the Show (London: Occasional Papers, 2014).

4. Phillpot, Clive. “Files in the Files: Ephemera in the Art Library.” Art Documentation (Spring 1995): 13Google Scholar.

5. Cultural commentator Michael Bracewell picks up on this in his review of the Steven Lieber’s Extra Art exhibition. Bracewell, Michael. “Postcards from the Edge: ‘Extra Art: A Survey of Artists’ Ephemera 1960–1999.” Frieze no. 72 (January/February 2003)Google Scholar.

6. Although over 10 years old now, Erica Dowell and Terrie L. Wilson’s article in the Journal of Arts Administration is a very fulsome discussion of collection development in relation to ephemera collections. Dowell, Erica and Wilson, Terrie L.Today’s Ephemera, Tomorrow’s Historical Documentation: Access Options for Artists’ Files.” Journal of Library Administration 39, nos. 2/3 (2003): 4360Google Scholar.