Minnesota on Paper: Collecting Our Printed History - Softcover

Harris, Moira F.; Harris, Leo J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816645558 ISBN 13: 9780816645558

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 2006

Synopsis

As the influence of popular culture increases, the collection of paper ephemera has emerged as a hobby. From bus tickets and postcards to shopping bags and matchbooks, these collectible memorabilia are usually discarded after their intended use. However, if properly stored and preserved, these items can record and illuminate our history and culture.Using a whimsical and engaging approach, Minnesota on Paper showcases some of the saved treasures that bring Minnesota history to life. With a nostalgic glimpse into the past, Moira and Leo Harris convey the aesthetic, historical, and cultural significance of particular ephemera, including beer labels, circus posters, postcards, and stamps, to name a few. By examining the creation and design of the paper ephemera, Minnesota on Paper also reveals a great deal about the development of Minnesota business, the evolution of printing technology and graphic design, and the history of advertising. In a tribute to these bygone days, the authors investigate ephemera from a variety of different perspectives. Who designed and printed each item and why? How and why did the item change and then cease to be used? Why is the item of interest, and what is its meaning? Who collects this item and why?A collection of treasures from the past, Minnesota on Paper features more than 240 color reproductions. Cultural historians, ephemera scholars, and Minnesotans intrigued by their history will appreciate these visual footnotes of Minnesota's culture. Moira F. Harris and Leo J. Harris are the publishers of Pogo Press, a small press located in St. Paul. Between them they hold six degrees from the University of Minnesota. Moira F. Harris has written numerous articles on art and popular culture for local and national magazines and is the author of several books including The Paws of Refreshment: The Story of Hamm's Beer Advertising, and Fire & Ice: The History of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.

About this title

About the Author

Moira F. Harris is an art historian who writes books and articles about art, popular culture and breweriana.

Roger G. Kennedy(1926-2011) served as Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and then of the National Park Service. He authored numerous articles and books, including "Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson: A Study in Character "and" Mr. Jefferson's Lost Cause: Land, Farmers, Slavery, and the Louisiana Purchase."

Synopsis

Some of the surviving ephemera that bring Minnesota to life are showcased in an examination that reveals a great deal about the development of Minnesota business, the evolution of printing technology and graphic design, and the history of advertising through its shopping bags, bus tickets, postcards, matchbooks, and other collectible memorabilia. O

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816645558
• ISBN 13: 9780816645558
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304