Media Release 22 Nov 2010
The Library of Nearly Lost Moments opens at the State Library
Have you ever kept a concert ticket, a birthday card or bus pass? These things are all meant to last an instant, but when kept they jog our memories of a moment lived. There’s a name for these things - ephemera - and they keep our history.The State Library of Western Australia has an extensive collection of ephemera, some of which is now on display in The Library of Nearly Lost Moments; a free, interactive exhibition where the public are invited to share their own stories and memories.
The ephemera exhibited in The Library of Nearly Lost Moments shows that everyday items, such as ration cards, wine licences and student registers, reveal stories not captured in history books; moments that make up our lives which would otherwise be lost.
Visitors to the exhibition are invited to leave behind something in The Library of Nearly Lost Moments. It may be an old theatre ticket or a link from a broken bracelet, anything sitting in a wallet or a pocket that they might like to donate to the exhibition. A short description of provenance, fictional or true, can be bundled together with the item into a cellophane bag, and the donation added to The Library of Nearly Lost Moments peg board.
CEO and State Librarian Margaret Allen commented, “One of the many ideas behind The Library of Nearly Lost Moments is to share the joy of collections and in particular ephemera items and the small moments that they bring to mind. This is a celebration of the history of the more ordinary and mundane moments, the minor transient documents which tell of everyday life in Western Australia.”
The Library of Nearly Lost Moments is free to visit during State Library opening hours,from 19 November 2010 - 6 February 2011, on the Ground floor.
The Library of Nearly Lost Moments is presented in association with the
Awesome International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things.
