The Alice Ross Ephemera Collection includes more than 2,000 pieces of ephemera related to food & culinary history, advertising/marketing, food production, agriculture, holidays and celebrations, and domestic culture, dating from the mid-19th to the mid/late 20th century. The collection consists largely of trade cards, postcards, greeting cards, advertisements from printed sources, and a small number of recipe booklets. In addition, though fewer in number, the collection also contains educational resources (like printed cards with the history of people/places/food items), business cards, photographs, brochures, and a few small artifacts (medals, pins, decorations, and textiles). Some of the items and/or binders include an emphasis on the roles and portrayals of indigenous populations, African-Americans, immigrants to the United States, and women in culinary and domestic culture.

Generally speaking, the collection does NOT contain items or formats like menus, labels, coupons, clipped recipes, recipe cards, or pamphlets.