A Reading Scrapbook

An absorbing look at the history of Reading through 150 pieces of printed ephemera.

Historical ephemera gives us a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in Reading in centuries past. In this book David Cliffe uses surviving pieces of ephemera from the collections held in the Department of Typography at the University of Reading and the Local Studies section at Reading Central Library as a starting point for a marvellous and discursive journey into the history of the town. Going back over the last 300 years and more, these scraps of paper show how the people of Reading lived, how they made their money, what they did for entertainment, and much more. The author’s commentary puts each piece into the context of its time and brings to life the story of the town. This is an intriguing and absorbing dive into local history.