Ephemera Events, News & Exhibitions

Bloomsbury Ephemera Fair

The fair will include all of the following: books, ephemera, maps, prints, posters, postcards, photographs and many unusual printed items across the whole of the Galleon Suite.

• Royal National Hotel
• Bedford Way
• London WC1H 0DG
• UK
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Staging Magic – The Story Behind The Illusion

This exhibition is an adventure through the history of conjuring and magic as entertainment, a centuries-long fascination that still excites and inspires today.

It features over 60 stories which focus on magic in the form of sleight-of-hand (legerdemain) and stage illusions, from 16th century court jugglers to the great masters of the golden age of magic in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

These stories are told through the books, manuscripts and ephemera of the Harry Price Library of Magical Literature.

• Senate House Library
• University of London
• Malet Street
• London WC1E 7HU
• UK
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• Image detail: Thurston the famous magician ‘East Indian Rope Trick’ poster, circa 1928.
  Copyright © Senate House Library

This major exhibition explores the life and legacy of the iconic designer Abram Games, focusing on his time as 'Official War Poster Artist' during the Second World War. Always direct, and occasionally controversial, Games's wartime posters have left a legacy that continues to influence the art of persuasion employed by visual designers today.

Inspired by his Jewish heritage, his experiences as a soldier, and the turbulent politics of the time, Games used his talent for visual communication to recruit, educate and influence soldiers and civilians alike.

In helping to transform new conscripts into trained soldiers, encouraging support for the war effort and presenting an idealistic vision of post-war Britain, Games's work offers a fascinating picture of a nation at war.

The art of persuasion examines the techniques Games used to communicate his messages effectively. From stark imagery and visual puns to innovative use of the airbrush, his unique artistic approach changed the face of British graphic design.

The exhibition includes posters from the National Army Museum’s collection alongside objects on loan from the family of Abram Games.

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• National Army Museum
• Royal Hospital Road
• London, SW3 4HT
• UK
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