


Temporary Objects with Permanent Impact: Ephemera at the Smithsonian
In this collection at the Smithsonian, the particular ephemera shown here were utilized in various political and activist movements throughout history, making their intended impermanence a juxtaposition to what they have contributed to. Buttons, posters, pamphlets, fliers, and more have been used throughout history to disseminate persuasive ideas and contribute to change in society. Were fliers popular during the 60s and 70s because of their ease of distribution? Were placards more prominent in recent years because of the global marches that flooded the streets during the black lives matter protests? A few prominent movements in history are represented in this Smithsonian dataset, and after scrolling down to reveal the second visualization we can see how each movement is represented by the ephemera that helped shape them.
What I Used
- HTML/CSS
- D3.js
- Bootstrap.js
- jQuery
- Data Source: Smithsonian Open Access
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