Ephemera Abbreviations

 Commonly Used Abbreviations and Terms in Primary Sources

A Practical Reference Guide for Collectors, Historians, Archivists, and Students – www.Historic.us

I. FOUNDATIONAL TERMS

• Primary Source: An original historical document, artifact, or record created during the time under study by participants or eyewitnesses to events.
• Autograph: Material written or signed in the hand of the individual noted.
• Holograph: A document written entirely in the hand of the individual noted.
• Manuscript: Any handwritten document, whether literary, official, scientific, musical, or personal.
• Recto: The “front” side of a sheet or leaf.  --  Verso: The “back” side of a sheet or leaf.
• Docket: A handwritten notation identifying a letter’s author, filing information, or disposition.
• Endorsement: A signature or notation indicating approval, receipt, instructions, or transfer.
• Inscribed: A signed item containing a personalized sentiment or dedication.
• Paraph: A decorative flourish accompanying a signature.

II. LETTERS AND CORRESPONDENCE

• ALS – Autograph Letter Signed: A handwritten letter written and signed by the same individual.
• AL – Autograph Letter: A handwritten letter not bearing a signature.
• LS – Letter Signed: A letter written in another hand and signed by the individual noted.
• TLS – Typed Letter Signed: A typewritten letter signed by the individual noted.
• ANS – Autograph Note Signed: A brief handwritten message lacking formal greeting or salutation.
• AES – Autograph Endorsement Signed: A handwritten endorsement or notation signed by the recipient.
• APCS – Autograph Postcard Signed: A handwritten and signed message written on a postcard.
• FDC - First Day Cover is an envelope or postal item bearing stamps canceled on the first official day of issue, often created as a collectible commemorating the release of a new stamp
• Third Person AL: An autograph letter in which the writer refers to himself or herself in the third person.
• Integral Address Leaf: The folded panel of a letter sheet containing the recipient’s address.
• Conjugate Leaf: The attached blank leaf of a folded letter sheet.
• Mourning Stationery: Black-bordered stationery used during periods of mourning.
• Free Frank: The postal privilege allowing officials to send mail without postage by signature.

 III. DOCUMENTS AND MANUSCRIPTS

• ADS – Autograph Document Signed: An official document written and signed entirely in the hand of the individual noted.
• DS – Document Signed: A document written, printed, or typed in another hand and signed by the individual noted.
• Manuscript DS: A manuscript docu written in another hand & signed by the responsible individual.
• Partially Printed DS: A printed document with blanks completed in manuscript and signed by the individual noted.
• AMsS – Autograph Manuscript Signed: A handwritten manuscript or draft written & signed by its creator.
• Ams – Autograph Manuscript: A handwritten manuscript lacking a signature.
• Souvenir Typescript: A typed excerpt or text prepared by another party & signed by the individual noted.

IV. PRINTED GOVERNMENTAL AND HISTORICAL SOURCES

• Treaty Printing: An officially printed edition of a treaty or diplomatic agreement issued for public record or legislative use.
• Congressional Journal: An official published record of the proceedings & actions of a legislative body.
• Broadside: A single-sheet printed announcement, proclamation, advertisement, or public notice.
• Gazette: An officially sanctioned newspaper or governmental publication containing public notices and reports.
• Newspaper: A periodically issued printed publication containing news, editorials, advertisements, and public information.
• Extra Edition: A special newspaper edition issued to report major breaking events.
• Pamphlet: A small printed publication produced for political, religious, educational, or commercial purposes.
• Proceedings: A printed compilation of official actions, papers, or transactions of an organization or governmental body.
• Session Laws: Officially published laws enacted during a legislative session.
• Imprint: The publisher, printer, and place-of-publication statement appearing on a printed work.

V. MUSICAL AND LITERARY MATERIAL

• AQS – Autograph Quotation Signed: A brief handwritten quotation or excerpt written and signed by the same individual.
• AMusQS – Autograph Musical Quotation Signed: A handwritten musical passage written and signed by a composer or musician.
• AMusMsS – Autograph Musical Manuscript Signed: A handwritten musical composition written and signed by the composer.

VI. PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

• SP – Signed Photograph: A photograph signed by the individual depicted or associated with the image.
• ISP – Inscribed Signed Photograph: A signed photograph containing a personalized inscription or dedication.
• Carte de Visite (CDV): A mounted photographic card popular from the 1860s–1880s.
• Cabinet Card: A mounted photograph generally measuring approximately 4¼” × 6½”.

VII. PAPER, PRINTING, AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Laid Paper: Handmade paper showing visible chain lines and wire lines from the papermaking mold.
• Wove Paper: Smooth paper lacking visible laid lines, introduced commercially in the late eighteenth century.
• Rag Paper: Paper manufactured primarily from cotton or linen textile fibers rather than wood pulp. Rag paper is generally stronger, more durable, and more resistant to acidic deterioration than modern wood-pulp paper. Most Western manuscripts, books, newspapers, and official documents produced before the late nineteenth century were printed on rag paper.
• Wood Pulp Paper: Paper manufactured primarily from mechanically or chemically processed wood fibers. Introduced widely in the late nineteenth century as a cheaper substitute for rag paper, wood-pulp paper is generally more acidic and prone to brittleness, discoloration, and deterioration over time.
• Vellum / Parchment: Writing material prepared from animal skin. “Parchment” is the general term; “vellum” traditionally refers to finer-quality calfskin parchment.
• Foxing: Brown spotting or staining caused by age, humidity, or mold exposure.
• Silked: A conservation process reinforcing fragile paper between thin silk layers.
• Trimmed: A document whose margins have been reduced or cut down.
• Skippet: A small container used to protect the attached wax seal

VIII. COLLECTING, AUTHENTICATION, AND MARKET TERMS

• CS – Cut Signature: A signature removed from a larger document or letter.
• Facsimile: A reproduction intended to imitate an original autograph or document.
• Ephemera: Printed or written material not intended for long-term preservation.
• Steel Engraving: An image printed from an engraved steel plate.
• Copperplate Engraving: An image printed from an engraved copper plate.

IX. CATALOGING ABBREVIATIONS

• N.d.: “No date.” Used when no date appears on the item.
• N.p.: “No place.” Used when no place of origin appears on the item.
• N.y.: “No year.” Used when the day and month are known but the year is absent.

X. Other Terms

• Folio: A large sheet or leaf generally measuring at least 11” × 14”.
• Quarto (4to): A sheet generally measuring approximately 6” × 8” to 8½” × 11”.
• Octavo (8vo): A sheet generally measuring approximately 4” × 6” to 5” × 7”.
• Duodecimo (12mo): A small-format sheet or book generally around 3” × 4”.
• Embossed: A raised design, seal, monogram, or letterhead impressed into paper.
• Watermark: A translucent identifying mark incorporated into paper during manufacture.
• Sepia: A warm brown photographic tone common in nineteenth-century photography.
• Silvering: Oxidation of photographic silver particles affecting appearance and value.
• Blind Stamp: An embossed seal or mark impressed into paper or photographs without ink.
• Provenance: The documented ownership history of an artifact or collectible.