Political and Activist Ephemera at the Smithsonian by Molly Cook

Ephemera is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.’ In this collection at the Smithsonian, the particular ephemera shown here were utilized in various political and activist movements throughout history, making their intended impermanence a juxtaposition to what they have contributed to. Buttons, posters, pamphlets, fliers, and more have been used throughout history to disseminate persuasive ideas and contribute to change in society. Different decades brought different popularity to the types of ephemera that were utilized. Were fliers popular during the 60s and 70s because of their ease of distribution? Were placards more prominent in recent years because of the global marches that flooded the streets during the black lives matter protests? A few prominent movements in history are represented in this Smithsonian dataset, and after clicking the arrow to reveal the second visualization we can see how each movement is represented by the ephemera that helped shape them. Temporary, tangible objects that were once used as persuasive media become timeless, priceless memorabilia decades after they’ve left their mark.