David Cliffe has unearthed a fascinating and varied selection of printed ephemera, largely from the collections in the Centre for Ephemera Studies, Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, University of Reading and the Local Studies section at Reading Central Library.

Going back over the last 300 years and more, these scraps of paper show how the people of Reading lived, how they made a earned their money, what they did for entertainment, and much more.

The author’s commentary puts each piece into the context of their time and brings to life the story of the town. This is an intriguing and absorbing dive into local history.