Celebrating 6 Years of this archive in 2024!

129 catalogs digitally preserved - & counting!

Thousands and thousands of pages of fashion history saved. Many thanks to you.

We’re called the “Fashion Ephemera Society”

In short - it’s an effort to preserve the past. Vintage fashion catalogs are a snapshot of everyday life & fashion trends in previous decades. They are a part of our collective cultural, social, and fashion heritage. They paint a clear picture of what was in vogue and what products were used day to day as well as being beautiful artistic expressions. These catalogs weren’t meant to survive as they were utilitarian ephemera, but some do. They were made of super flimsy newsprint like paper and often times were marked, torn, cut, and ultimately discarded after use. I’m endeavoring to preserve the ones that remain by both physically storing them as well as digitizing every single page and filing them into a database. My main goal with this collection is to one day donate it all to an educational institution so that they may be easily accessed by students and professionals looking to the past for future inspiration. I’m doing this on my own - with some support from generous patrons - at a cost to myself, and I take the stewardship of these paper ephemera very seriously.

As it’s a costly undertaking that also requires a serious investment of my time (the scanning in of catalogs can take hours to days as they need delicate handling and proper equipment and then further editing and organization). There are so many benefits to being a Patreon - from my exhaustive Laundry Guide, Dating Vintage Cheat Sheet, Research Requests, and more. You can click here if you’re interested in becoming a Patron via my Patreon.

Here are a few of the covers of the catalogs from this collection, some rarer than others, all insanely beautiful and informative.

Can I access this database of fashion catalogs?

Yes and no. At this point in time I’m wading through US copyright grey zones trying to determine which of these catalogs are solidly in the public domain and able to be shared. US copyright law is nothing if not a hot mess and very difficult to unwind. There is a generally held consensus (with caveats) that anything prior to 1926 is in the public domain. 2019 marks the first year when copyrights will begin moving into the public domain (barring renewal) since the Sunny Bono Copyright Act in 1998 seriously put everything on lockdown. Catalogs in my archives previous to 1927 I do have available in my shop as digital downloads for a small price in order to continue to support this project. Also, if you join the Deco Darling patron tier via my Patreon page you’ll get access to these catalogs as I can make them available with consideration to copyright laws. All my scans are very high quality, every detail is clearly discernible and all text legible.

How do you maintain this collection?

Carefully. Paper ephemera is fragile and requires favorable conditions to survive in good shape. I use museum quality archival boxes for the catalogs themselves and employ a number of digital storage options to ensure the scans survive for decades to come. This is all costly and in order to be able to maintain it all I’m not only selective about which catalogs I can pick up (due to budget constraints, I wish I could pick up all of them!) but I do occasionally sell off certain catalogs in order to continue to add to the digital database. It’s a balancing act, but one I’m dedicated to.

Are there other ways I can help?

Yes! Apart from joining my Patreon - specifically if you own any vintage fashion catalogs yourself. I would be happy to take the time to completely digitize any catalogs you may have and send you all large format files with the understanding that the digital copies will also be added to my archive and be made available for purchase (pending copyright status) to continue to help fund the archives. All physical copies will be returned as promptly as I’m able to scan them (which would take priority). Feel free to message me if you’d like to participate in this project in this way and I can provide all details about how I coordinate this.

What are your future plans concerning donating this collection?

Right now all plans are tentative and based on the idea that once this collection is comprised of a serious number of catalogs over years of collecting and digitalization an institution will be able to take on the task of housing, storing, and maintaining the physical catalogs and / or the digital archives. I have a few specific institutions / organizations in mind, but right now I’m mainly focused on the nitty gritty of maintaining this project myself and getting it to place where it makes sense for an educational institution to incorporate it into its collection.

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