EPHEMERA IS THE PLURAL FORM OF THE GREEK WORD EPHEMERON (EPI = ON, ABOUT, ROUND; HEMERA = DAY). LITERALLY, IT REFERS TO SOMETHING THAT LASTS THROUGH THE DAY, OR, AS MAURICE RICKARDS PROPOSED, THE MINOR TRANSIENT DOCUMENTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE, ALTHOUGH NOT EVERY ITEM OF EPHEMERA CAN BE REGARDED AS TRANSIENT OR EVEN MINOR. COLLECTIVELY THE MANY ENTRIES IN THIS FORMIDABLE NEW REFERENCE WORK PROVIDE A BETTER DEFINITION OF EPHEMERA, SINCE THEY INCLUDE MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED MATTER (SPORTS PROGRAMS, ENVELOPES, VISITING CARDS, BALLOTS), RECORDS OF THE PAST AND PRESENT (NEWSPAPERS, CIGARETTE CARDS, SEED PACKETS, RATION PAPERS), ITEMS DESIGNED TO BE THROWN AWAY (BUS TICKETS, PAPER BAGS, FRUIT LABELS), AND TO BE KEPT (BOOKMARKS, PLAYING CARDS, BOARD GAMES).

THIS LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED LANDMARK VOLUME IS INTENDED FOR SOCIAL HISTORIANS AS WELL AS COLLECTORS OF EPHEMERA WHO TAKE A BROADER VIEW THAN THEIR OWN SPECIALIST FIELD.