• Ditchling Horticulture 1920

    Hey Ho, Come To The Fair – Ditchling Horticultural Show, 100 years ago.

    I have just returned from the Ephemera Society’s Summer Fair in Bloomsbury with a box of beautiful finds. This is my favourite. It’s a gorgeous poster for the 98th Annual Show of The Ditchling Horticultural Society. The Society still exists…

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  • Art Brighton and Jazz

    Brighton A to Z – Art, Beatniks and Jazz

    This poster is from the late 1950s and is beyond cool. It’s eye-catching, perfectly balanced and elegant. The ‘Jazz Contest’ event was organised by Brighton Art Students, who must have seemed like a shocking bunch of beatniks at the time….

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  • Empty shelves - can you help?

    Empty Shelves -And The First Signs Of Spring!

    These shelves were full of books at the start of the fair! I have just come back from the regular monthly ETC Bloomsbury book fair and I’m pleased to report that it was very busy. Things have been very slow…

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  • Maidstone Gin: a flyer from the 1890s

    Maidstone Gin, 14 shillings & 6d a gallon!

    Here’s a wonderful thing. It’s a beautiful two-colour advertising flyer for Maidstone Gin, dating from the late 19th Century. I have recently bought a big scrap-book of ephemera relating to Mr Grant’s Distillery and I was delighted to discover that…

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  • Worthing in about 1845

    Talking About Old Books At The Worthing Collectors Club

    The Worthing Antique, Arts and Collectors Club meet on the first Tuesday of the month in Field Place, Worthing – and this month I was the guest speaker. This was great fun and I need to thank the tireless secretary,…

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