Victorian Scrapbook Pages Part Two

 The word ephemera is related to ephemeral, meaning temporary or transitory and not meant to last. Antique scrapbooks preserved bits of paper that otherwise would be lost to time ~ thereby preserving memories as well and giving us a window into the life of women and girls long ago. And sometimes men, too ~ for example, Mark Twain loved scrapbooking!
 

Antique scrapbooks often contained trade cards, which were printed by companies to advertise their products and were often collected for their colorful sentimental or humorous illustrations. Calling cards (or "visiting cards") were often saved in scrapbooks.   A child's scrapbook might include Reward of Merit cards received at Sunday School or school, to be shared at family gatherings.
 

As scrapbooking became more popular, one could buy sheets of "scraps" with die-cuts, chromos, or embossed reliefs created especially for scrap albums. Newspaper clippings, tickets, letters, greeting cards, any little bits of paper ephemera might find their way into a Victorian scrapbook.