1. History of the collection
1.1 Ephemera
In the Department of Drawings and Prints there were a number of works with similar physical characteristics and content. In 1991 these became the Ephemera Collection of the Biblioteca Nacional with the aim of gathering an "extensive and varied range of graphical representations made with a specific purpose and not intended to survive the topicality of their message".
They were located, registered and given inventory call numbers (loose works) ER and BA (books), several collections of picture cards, match boxes, wall calendars, greeting cards, decorative borders and an interesting series of labels from boxes of raisins and oranges from the late nineteenth century. Unprocessed, an extraordinary collection of several thousand matchboxes was found, comprising the most important Spanish and foreign brands, a valuable asset in terms of quantity, subject matter and techniques.
Prior to this, a magnificent collection of Cuban cigar cards and a collection of greetings and business cards had been purchased and incorporated.. In the General Depository several boxes containing printed sheets and pamphlets from the old Various Room were located and moved, some of them illustrated (menus, price lists, schedules, etc.). Furthermore, several collections pre-1950 cut-out sheets were located and moved, having been previously stored in the old Children's Literature Section.
Over the years we have continued to purchase Ephemera collections, including: a collection of cigar box labels, called "habilitaciones", another of beverage labels, both dating from between 1880 and 1930; a collection of advertising fans from the 1940s and 1950s; and a smaller collection of rolling paper packages. Later, purchases have been made of several collections of Apelles Mestres picture cards, two albums of Christmas cards from various trades, other albums of invitations, programs and dance cards and a considerable number of cards with pharmaceutical advertising from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Also important are the donations received, such as a collection of early twentieth century cut-outs, an album of condensed milk labels from the time of the Spanish Civil War, a small theatre and other games on card, devotional prints, boxes of matches, business cards and labels, etc. More recently significant donations of contemporary printed materials have been received.
In 2003, the catalogue "Ephemera. La vida sobre papel" was published which includes about eighty thousand works arranged according to different types of materials. The catalogue provides all the information about each item: content, subject matter, techniques, illustrators, publishers, printing works, brands, factories and manufacturers of products and commercial establishments, companies and shops, etc.
1.2 Ex Libris
In 1968 and 1969, the Biblioteca Nacional, which had a small ex libris collection, acquired the collections of Messrs. Porter and Concepción Montsalvatje of Barcelona and Sáenz Fernández Casariego of Madrid, and in 1977 that of Concepció Careaga. Together, the three collections are exceptional for the quality and quantity of the works, some from Spanish artists but the majority from foreign engravers who worked in this field of art. The collection includes works by the great engravers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Also worth noting is the variety of printing processes used, and the variety of topics.
In 1989 the Spanish Libraries Ex Libris Catalogue was published by the Biblioteca Nacional, which included the works of great engravers from the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
2. The holdings
2.1 Ephemera
The Ephemera Collection at the Biblioteca Nacional comprises nearly one hundred thousand images of highly diverse type, subject matter and techniques. Chronologically they date back to a period between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth century. The different materials were classified according to content, and to date include: greetings, reminders, and devotional prints, invitations, programs, dance cards and offers from orchestras, pocket calendars, wall calendars, fans, labels and commercial packaging (snuff, beverages, perfumes and cosmetics, food, etc..), picture cards, postcards and toys such as paper cut-outs and theatres. These materials have been joined by new collections of playing cards, cards for scales, invoices and letterheads, bookmarks, labels of commercial products, etc.
Among the authors of these works are some of the best Spanish late nineteenth and early twentieth century illustrators: Eusebio Planas, Tomás Gaspar, Apeles Mestres, Ramón Casas, Ricardo Opisso, Gaspar Camps, Luis Labarta, Juan García Junceda, Alejandro de Riquer, José Cusachs, Carlos Ruano Llopis, Arturo Mélida, Manuel Tovar, Jaime Pahissa, José Pla Narbona, José Segrelles, etc.
The subject matter includes an abundance of portraits, caricatures, allegorical and mythological figures, religious figures, historical scenes, illustrated books, reproductions of paintings, views and landscapes, transport, etc.
2.2 Ex Libris
Among the main topics included in the Spanish libraries ex libris are Cervantine themes, and in particular those depicting scenes from Don Quixote, animals, heraldry, humour, children, macabre, medical and religious scenes, the latter divided into saints and Marian themes.
The most important of works in the ex libris collection of the Biblioteca Nacional, due to their historic interest, are those belonging to the Spanish Royal Family. An extremely important piece is the ex libris engraved by Goya for Jovellanos. Other Spanish artists creating ex libris include are important painters, engravers and artists such as Lorenzo Brunet, Alejandro Cardunets, Ramón Casals y Vernís, Cayetano Cornet, Joaquín Diéguez, D’Ivori, Joaquín Folch, Luis García Falgás, Juan García-Junceda, Antonio Ollé Pinel, Ricardo Opisso, Joaquín Pla Dalmau, Alejandro de Riquer, Ismael Smith, José Triadó etc.
Catálogo
