The John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera at the Bodleian Library has printed ephemera focussing on nineteenth century entertainment, the book trade, popular prints, advertising, broadsides and other popular material relating to crime, murder and executions. It is now available through the Library web site.
The original collection was assembled by John de Monins Johnson (1882-1956), Printer to the University, and was housed at Oxford University Press, before being transferred to the Bodleian Library. The digitisation project includes levels of description and access not previously available to researchers.
The collection ranges from 1540 to 1955, but the great bulk of it is from the 19th century.
The Choice reviewer describes it as "absorbing, fun, scholarly, and unique ... a must for researchers studying Britain's cultural, social, industrial, and technological heritage."