Overview
The term ephemera comes from ‘ephemeral’ which means ‘lasting or of use for only a short time; transitory’. In archives, libraries, and museums it is used to describe printed objects that were designed for a specific short-term purpose.
World War I generated its own specific ephemera. This ranged from official military-related material such as enlistment orders, forms, notices, recruitment posters, and propaganda, to more sentimental items, such as postcards that servicemen collected or sent back as mementoes. Although their intended life-span was short, many items of ephemera created during World War I have been preserved, and now function as powerful reminders of the conflict.
Much of Te Papa’s archival collection of World War I ephemera was collected at the time of the war. At this time, the Dominion Museum (Te Papa’s predecessor) began receiving a wide range of war-related material, as New Zealanders became preoccupied with commemorating this unprecedented event.