Caring for Your Collection
ESA members and subject specialists share their thoughts, insights and tips on creating, dating, cataloguing and caring for your collections.
Institutional Manuals and Guides for Collectors
See – State Library of Victoria Research Guides on caring for collections.
See – WA Museum Collections Care Manual for private collectors.
See – Australian War Memorial conservation guides for the general public.
Cataloguing your Collection
Dating your Collection
It can be difficult dating ephemera. By the nature of its use and production, ephemera is often undated. The following information and links may provide some helpful tips and clues.
‘Speed Dating Made Easy’ Ephemera Journal of Australia #1, May 2015, pp 31 – 35.
This excellent article by Amanda Bede and colleagues is a helpful starting point and a great read.
‘When was it published? Tips for finding the date of ephemera’, 2025.
P K Yonge Library of Florida History
‘More Dating Advice: Look closely at the company you keep’ Ephemera Journal of Australia #3, April 2018, pp 26 – 29.
In this informative article, Barry Sturman explains how knowledge of a company’s history can help date advertising posters.
