Chloe Akers-Brewer

This project is about printing for celebrations. It examines the ephemeral works which were produced to advertise, augment and commemorate personal festivities in early modern Europe. It shines a light on the hidden underbelly of non-commercial printing: unlike the grand ‘festival books’ of ruling élites, or even the cheap broadsheets celebrating events of local interest, most festive print in Europe was distributed free of charge.

Weddings, funerals, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, achievements: the ordinary special events which punctuate and shape our lives were frequently announced and accompanied by ephemeral print. From festive Finnish dissertations to sycophantic Prussian birthday greetings; tiny Irish burial slips to luxury Dutch wedding pamphlets; impressive Italian diplomas to functional French marriage charters: we find ephemeral print at the heart of celebrations across Europe.

Using the Universal Short Title Catalogue, a trans-national bibliography of books published before 1701 for which Chloe is a researcher, the project reveals the scale and impact of this culture of celebration.