Collection Guide
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San Francisco Ephemera Collection
SFH 753
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Title: San Francisco ephemera collection
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 753
Physical Description:
265.0 Linear feet
(in 153 file drawers)
Date (inclusive): 1850-present
Abstract: Consists of ephemeral materials, city records and clippings
relating to the city of San Francisco and its citizens. Materials date from the 1850s to the
present, the bulk from the 20th century. Subjects cover a diverse array of San Francisco
history and primarily pertain to: municipal government; city planning; urban policy;
environmental engineering; transportation; social history; labor history; community
relations; notable events; public events, fairs and celebrations; and various aspects of
local popular culture. Subjects also relate to specific local entities, such as: businesses;
schools, colleges and universities; political parties; and associations, groups and clubs.
Specific places are also found here, including: buildings; public spaces; bodies of water;
and transportation terminals.
Physical Location: Collection is stored on-site; some
materials require retrieval from separate storage.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English.
Collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the San Francisco Public Library. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City
Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library
as the owner of the physical items.
[Identification of item/Title of folder], San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco
Public Library.
Related ephemera collections at the San Francisco Public Library include:
San Francisco Biography Collection
California Ephemera Collection
Grab horn Ephemera Collection
Processed by San Francisco History Center staff; additional processing and description by
California Ephemera Project staff, funded by a Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and
Archives grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources, in 2009-2010.
Consists of ephemeral materials, city records and clippings relating to the city of San
Francisco and its citizens. Materials date from the 1850s to the present, the bulk from the
20th century. Subjects cover a diverse array of San Francisco history and primarily pertain
to: municipal government; city planning; urban policy; environmental engineering;
transportation; social history; labor history; community relations; notable events; public
events, fairs and celebrations; and various aspects of local popular culture. Subjects also
relate to specific local entities, such as: businesses; schools, colleges and universities;
political parties; and associations, groups and clubs. Specific places are also found here,
including: buildings; public spaces; bodies of water; and transportation terminals.
The range of ephemera includes: newspaper and magazine clippings, menus, pamphlets,
brochures, political mailings and advertisements, reports, maps, court transcripts,
correspondence, exhibition catalogs, scrapbooks, certificates, fliers, programs, view books,
souvenirs and other commemorative materials.
Individual ephemera files can contain a single item or more extensive amounts of material,
ranging from photocopies to handwritten documents.
Collection is arranged alphabetically.
Additions to the collection are ongoing.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Advertisements.
Brochures.
California Ephemera Project.
Clippings.
Correspondence.
Ephemera.
Exhibition catalogs.
Fliers (Ephemera)
Menus.
Programs.
Viewbooks.