Ephemera Society’s 29th Show A Dynamic Walk Through History

Greenwich, Conn.

:"This is our all-time favorite show," exclaimed John and Tina Bruno of Flamingo Eventz, managers of the Ephemera Society of America's annual show. They have managed the event for the past eight years, and on March 20–22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Ephemera 29 attracted crowds of collectors.

This is more than a show, however; it is a business meeting/convention for the Ephemera Society of America that began Friday, March 19, with a series of conferences and seminars and collectors' forums and continued throughout a vibrant weekend.

Written and printed ephemera is, by its very nature, designed to be transitory, but this popular event, which has become the pinnacle of paper shows with dealers traveling from France, England, Canada and all over the United States to display their wares, provides an informative and dynamic voyage through history.

Saturday morning brings the most anticipated event, the opening of the show. A long line of society members anxiously awaited for the Brunos to let them gain access to the mountains of material spread about in the ballroom and adjacent hallway. The crowd of society members rushed in at 9 am for their early buying privilege, and a new line began forming soon after for general admission at 10 am.

Americana dealer Rex Stark of Gardner, N.J., was seen early shopping the show, as was Molly Vogel, a Harrisville, N.H., collector who was considering a first edition of The Life and Adventures of Santa , copyright 1902, by L. Frank Baum at Jean's Books. The Hatfield, Penn., dealer was also showing a charming folding dollhouse made from a circa 1880 book and several first editions — especially on the life of Santa, all by different authors.

This is a fun and informative event; everyone takes the time to talk about their collecting and to help patrons find what it is that they may be seeking. Susan Lane explained the difference between a real photo postcard and a postcard with a photograph on the front.

While talking with Robert Bogdan, Orwell, Vt., author of Real Photo Postcard Guide: The People's Photography, who gave a presentation on Friday to society members, Lane, from Cortland Manor, N.Y., urged anyone interested in postcards "to get Bob's book." She added, "It is the definitive book on the history and culture of real photo postcards."

There were so many great things at Ephemera 29: From a "Wild West" advertising poster for Smith & Wesson Revolvers (at Paul Brzozowski, Fairfield, Conn.) and autographs by America's founders and a full printing of the US Constitution (Caren Archives, Lincolndale, N.Y), to posters selling olive oil, airplane rides and urging all to "knit their bit" for the war effort (David Pollock Vintage Posters, Sherman, Conn.).

Pollock reported that his sales were mostly American, such as a beautiful 1890s American Literary poster illustrated by Ethel Reed, a 1910 medical teaching chart and a 1936 Texas Centennial poster.

"The Ephemera Society fair continues to be one of my favorites, principally because I see more varied and unique material at this venue than at most fairs," said John Waite of Ascutney, Vt. "For collections relating to American history and culture, the wealth of primary and unusual material offered at this fair is hard to beat. And there are interesting items for sale at every price point."

Eric Caren was on hand with a wide variety of historical ephemera, ranging from that full printing of the United States Constitution, which was found in the October 1, 1787, issue of the Hartford Courant , and ran over four pages ($18,000), to very old newspapers and broadsides, photographs of Sioux warriors and the army generals who fought them, and the news that he has just been elected a member of the Grolier Club, about which he justifiably very proud.

Many dealers were offering albums of different sorts. George Krzyminski was showing a "dressed" silhouette album with figures from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. It found an eager buyer who appreciated the delicacy and art of the work that enhanced the black silhouettes with tiny pieces of brocade fabric, silver and gold metallic gilt thread and backgrounds of floral paper. Some of the portraits were of famous kings and queens and were identified on their mounts.

The Westhampton, N.Y., dealer also sold a wonderful ephemeral and unique item that included two large albums of original, professionally taken photographs of Hungary directly after the devastation of World War II, compiled in appreciation for Father Fabian of the Catholic Relief Services. The photographs were prefaced by a brilliantly hand colored vellum leaf.

At Ken Shure's booth, a circa 1920s album of ship model photographs even included an image of one of the rooms where the models were on display. The Rockport, Maine, dealer was sharing a double booth filled with enlistment posters and warnings of spies, WPA photographs, cartes-de-visite, daguerreotypes, a Traveler's Pastime to help wile away the hours steaming across the Great Lakes, political buttons and advertising cards with fellow Rockport dealer Joe Reilly.

A single photographer's collection, taken from 1927 to 1941 and bound in some 25 volumes, chronicled the earliest land-speed trials and the evolution of stock car races on the famous beaches of Daytona, Fla. With some 1,100 photographs by Richard H. Lesesne, a Daytona photographer, the images document airplane, boat and car races, airplane wrecks, car wrecks and even boat disasters at the famous site. With one unbound album and some loose prints, these photo albums were at John Waite Rare Books.

Gil Rodriguez, Darien, Conn., had WPA photographs, a first edition of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn in a prized yellow cover and an original manuscript, completely handwritten with notes and sketches, of William Shadow's Magot Austin. The 1954 roughs were in pen and ink. Gilann Books also featured a volume of the Acts and Laws of the State of Connecticut in America , 1884.

A litho of a wool machine works, Davis & Furber, in North Andover, Mass., circa 1855, was framed and hanging in Resser-Thorner Antiques, Manchester, N.H., along with an 1865 Eagle Mower advertising poster, a print of sea nymphs floating that was reminiscent of Magritte's birthday painting and a poster advertising Socovel, "La moto qui donne des ailes (the scooter that gives you wings)!"

Not quite paper, but a charming set of Punch and Judy hand puppets, seven in all, on a custom built stand, stood on the aisle of Evie Eysenburg. The Cold Spring, N.Y., dealer also sported a box with mounted shoes showing patented shoe tip protectors and shoelace protectors, with patent numbers and other patent information.

A collector turned dealer, Larry Graf of Smyrna, Del., was exhibiting for the first time with his lifetime collection of trade and advertising cards. A special trade card on cloth, very rare, he said, was for an Ayers Company herbal remedy. The roughly 8-by-10-inch cloth showed a mother having her body-length hair being dressed by a maid as she looked fondly at her daughter. With bright colors and in excellent condition, the only indication it was an advertisement was the bottle of Ayers Remedy sitting on the small bedside table.

Paper shows are filled with wonderful items, and almost every collector will find something of interest within his or her collecting category. The crowds gathered for Ephemera 29 prove that this collecting niche has lasting appeal.

For information, www.ephemerasociety.org , or Flamingo Eventz, www.flamingoeventz.com or 603-509-2639.