Special Collections Division: Ephemera Subject Files

This is a non-circulating, closed-stack collection of subject files of materials in a wide variety of formats such as reports, brochures, programs, invitations, and memorabilia. Patrons wishing to access these materials should inquire at the service desk.

Topics include: Cities and Towns (other than Nashville); Fairs, Festivals, Parades, etc.; Family History; Health, Disease, and Medicine; Landmarks, Markers, Monuments, etc.; Performing Arts and Entertainment; Persons; Schools and Colleges; Tennessee Centennial Exposition (1897); Transportation; and Wars.

The following Ephemera Subject Files have been processed, cataloged, and have available finding aids. More detailed descriptions are available in the library's online catalog.

Businesses

Includes company histories; company publications and newsletters; annual reports; brochures; catalogs; advertisements; speeches; correspondence; biographies of local business leaders; and related materials. Emphasis is upon businesses in Nashville and nearby areas. Finding aid available (PDF).

Churches

Contains a wide variety of materials, mostly from the twentieth century, about Nashville area churches. Includes church histories, biographies of local ministers and other prominent persons in the Christian religious life of Nashville; printed sermons; church bulletins; membership lists; promotional literature; church periodicals and related literature; architectural information on historic church buildings; information about particular churches and their function or activities during wartime; charitable and relief efforts undertaken by local churches; church-related businesses, printing and publishing houses, associations, schools, homes, and similar types of enterprises conducted under church direction; and related types of materials. A few items are from outside of the Nashville area or outside Tenn. Find aid available (PDF).

Communities

Brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, reports, lists, booklets, and a variety of other material concerning various Tennessee communities. Emphasis is upon Nashville and Davidson County, with a large quantity of material relating to or produced by the city, county, or metropolitan governments. Chronological lists of government officials for various offices are a particularly helpful resource. Subjects in the collection include overviews of communities, government, history, tourism and industry. For Nashville neighborhoods, subjects include historic or restored homes, neighborhood tours, house and garden tours, neighborhood associations, and neighborhood history. Quantity of materials on a subject ranges from a single item to several folders. Includes some photocopies. Finding aid available (PDF).

Magazines and Newspapers Ephemera Collection

Collection contains a wide variety of publications from the 19th and 20th centuries, most published in Nashville, Tenn. Types of periodicals include women's magazines, religious publications from the Methodist Publishing House, literary and educational magazines, magazines including articles about Nashville, and others. An 1861 almanac published in Memphis, Tenn. by S. Mansfield & Co. is also part of this collection.

Organizations

Includes yearbooks, bylaws, rosters, brochures, publications, programs, publicity and recruitment materials, annual reports, minutes, and related items about a wide variety of Nashville and Tennessee organizations and clubs. Quantity of materials ranges from a single item to several folders. Finding aid available (PDF).

Performing Arts

Includes programs, brochures, flyers, invitations, posters, handbills, newsletters, and a variety of other materials by and about Nashville area performing arts, including venues and specific performances and performers. The vast majority of materials throughout the collection are programs or promotional flyers. Quantity of materials ranges from a single item to several folders. Some items are photocopies. The collection covers the three major performing arts of dance, music and theater, with emphasis on Nashville. A general category includes materials which are not limited to just one of the arts, as well as performances in the nature of variety shows or vaudeville. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) can also be found in the general category, since they host a variety of entertainments in all three areas of the arts. Finding aid available (PDF).

Schools

Includes a wide variety of material relating to schools in the Nashville area and elsewhere in Middle Tennessee. Most items outside of the Nashville area concern universities or colleges. In the collection as a whole, all types of schools are included, both public and private, and elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions. Materials are also included which concern or originate with school-affiliated groups and individuals, such as clubs, athletics, parent-teacher organizations, teachers, administrators, alumni, and others. Includes programs from school events such as graduations, reunions, plays, recitals, concerts and similar activities; promotional materials; yearbooks; rosters; brochures; student newspapers; literary magazines; newsletters; publications; reports; essays and histories; course catalogs; student handbooks; curricula and lessons; speeches, commemorations, and dedications; and a wide variety of other material. Quantity of materials ranges from a single item to several folders. Some items are photocopies. Finding aid available (PDF).

Wars and Military

A wide variety of material relating to the military service and wartime experiences of military personnel and civilians; monuments, preservation, and commemorations, especially for the Battle of Nashville and the Civil War; unit histories; veterans' reunions, activities, and publications; newsletters, especially relating to local airbases during World War II; and women's involvement in wartime, especially the Civil War and World War II. Formats include letters, memoirs, diaries, essays, brochures, pamphlets, and a variety of other written materials, including some photocopies. Organized into six series: I. Indian Wars; II. Civil War; III. Spanish-American War; IV. World War I; V. World War II; VI. Naval Vessels. Civil War series organized into topical subseries as follows: Battles; Commemorations; Geographic; Monuments; Personal Accounts; Preservation; Units. Finding aid available (PDF), along with container list (PDF)