Papermania: A Smashing Success

HARTFORD, CONN.

:On a cold and wet Saturday, the 47th Annual Papermania opened to a large and enthusiastic crowd that was on hand to pour through the wide variety of ephemera and related materials offered. The show, held at the Harford Civic Center on January 8 and 9, featured more than 160 exhibitors.

The popular show draws a cultlike crowd obsessed with the typical Papermania offerings of paper memorabilia that include such items as toys, historical documents, rare books, posters, daguerreotypes and trading cards.

"Many of our dealers have a following in their specialties," stated Gary Gipstein of Hillcrest Promotions, Wethersfield, Conn. Gipstein's parents, Paul Gipstein and Arlene Shea, founded the show in 1976 and Gary Gipstein continues the tradition, much to the delight of the exhibitors. "This show is too good to give up; we always do well," said Janet and Stan Davidson of Massachusetts, exhibitors of specialty postcards, and their point was well proven on a beautiful sunny Sunday as a record turnout swamped the show to all the dealers' delight.

Paul Murray of Murray Books, Wilbraham, Mass., brought an unusual item to the show this year, an early Nineteenth Century miniature lockbox from the collection of the Captain Lee House, East River, Conn.; it was the highlight of his booth. Murray believes the box was a sailor's whimsy, all handmade; it has a false bottom, secret compartments and a top that flips in two directions depending on how the key is turned.

Other whimsical offerings were a vintage Snort Snort game, circa 1950s, with original parts and instructions, offered by Space and Hollywood Revue; a roll of circa 1933 Popeye tablecloths, "The roll contains over 1,000 tablecloths," stated Josh Leland Evans, Seaford , N.Y.; or Jim Rugens', Rock Hill, Conn., 1960s plush Beatles quartet - John, Paul, George and Ringo - replete with guitars and amps for one's nostalgic pleasure.

Posters could be found in every corner at Papermania. Norman Litty, N.Y., and William Turomsha, North Hampton, Mass., displayed an eye-catching French re-release poster, from the 1960s movie classic, An American in Paris. Nancy Steinbock Posters, Newton, Mass., exhibited a multitude of 1930s Italian and French Art Deco transportation travel posters, military and political posters, food and drink posters and a plethora of other varieties. Just Kids Nostalgia, Huntington, N.Y., displayed an Osa Johnson movie poster, I Married An Adventurer, as well as uncut sheets of posters, stamps and promotional stills of various vintage movie stars.

On a more historical note, Dennis Coyle displayed an original 1928 election poster for Alfred Smith, alongside a photo and banner of the actual winner in that presidential race, Herbert Hoover. Rare posters could be found in the booths of Rex Stark and Bob Seymour. Stark from Gardner, Mass., displayed an unusual bounty poster with a cavalry scene. According to Stark, "The poster is unusual because most posters of this type are plain."

Bob Seymour of the Colebrook Bookbarn in Colebrook, Conn., had a rare vintage "Entartete Musik" poster. According to Seymour, a year or so after the Munich opening of "Entartete Kunst" - "Degenerate Art" - the Nazi regime put on another less well known show, "Entartete Musik" -"Degenerate Music" - and the figure in this poster became the symbol for all things the Nazi regime deemed degenerate in the arts.

Along with posters, Seymour displayed a rare, in excellent condition, Mitchell's National Map of the American Republic, 1845. Other displayers of maps were Bickerstaff's, Waltham, Mass., who had a 1636 map of "Nova Anglia, Nova Belgium and Virginia," by Jansson; and Ken Schultz of Hoboken, N.J., who exhibited an original artwork for a directional map of the 1940 World's Fair. Schultz also displayed various items from the Titanic: a deck plan, a small square swath of carpeting and a silver dollar from the pocket of a victim of that epic disaster, John Gill.

Elliot Sherman of Leverett, Mass., similarly, had a variety of items in his booth, including sculpture and toys, as well as a 1920s machine age hooked rug; and Elizabeth Baird displayed quaint, folk art wedding dolls, bride and groom, circa 1860s, alongside a rare, mint condition American valentine, circa 1870. Oddities abounded in the booth of Janet and David Cohn, who should have put the warning sign, "Do not eat," next to the delicious wax chocolates on display. Other items of note were a Samsonite display suitcase sampler, circa 1940s; a "Manhattan Coffee" table; a shell doll and various vintage 1920s wallpaper strips.

Subtler treasures, however, could be found in the multitudinous rare book displays. Purveyor of Antiquarian and Rare Books, Ian Brabner, Newark, Del., sold a first edition of Huckleberry Finn, 1885, Charles and Webster Co., to Steve Lupack. Brabner also had a 1926 edition of A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, in its original dust jacket. Rare Book and Print owner Gary Welker, Waterloo, Ontario, also had a rare first edition, 1808, a child's delight - Beauty and the Beast. According to Welker, "This Talbot edition is in decent condition, with three hand colored engravings; only two or three are in private hands."

Enchanted Books, which was exhibiting for the first time, specializes in rare children's and illustrated literature. Owner Susan Weiser's favorite was a capricious Fairy Pie, circa 1880s-90s, an advertising book shaped like a pie containing New England pie preparations. Bryan Bilby of Appledore Books, Waccabuc, N.Y., exhibited a grouping of offbeat and kitschy books as well as a startling collection of "Big Little's," mid 1930s. Picking Fields of Springfield, Mass., had a novel display of leather and novelty Knickerbocker complete works of Shakespeare in box, circa 1920s; and John and Maureen Liberati appealed to the historical gun enthusiast with a lovely 1940 History of the Colt Revolver, by Charles T. Haven and Frank A. Belden.

Transcendental Graphics owner Mark Rucker, Boulder, Colo., presented programs from Black Crook's Broadway productions in 1866. According to Rucker, "They were the show to see in their time, featuring movable sets and real water on stage." Harry Brewster displayed a 1920, Berlin, Germany, Schwarz, Gelb, Skizzenbuch, translated Black, Yellow, Sketchbook, that contained 24 pencil signed lithographs by the artist Victor Freytag. Brewster is currently researching as to who Freytag might be.

Another autographed book could be found in the booth of Edward J. Cohen, whose specialty is Nineteenth Century photographic images. "I just couldn't resist purchasing this item when I saw it on sale," stated Cohen. The book is actually an autograph book, once owned by Charles Ferguson, who had some unique autographs in the book: Booker T. Washington, Mark Twain, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Frederic Remington, Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Photographic miscellany could be found in various booths: David Chow, East Providence, R.I., had circa 1850s postmortem daguerreotypes; Bayberry Antiques, Cape Cod, Mass., displayed photographic and print postcards; Bruce Nelson's had an exquisite display of a Black Face trading cards that were sold as a set; and Duane Ellingson's, of Beacon Falls, Conn., large display of Connecticut photographic postcards.

Other printed artifacts include World War I aviators' stamps, Austrian German, available at Connecticut Cinderellas & Glass Slipper Auctions, that were used to raise money for aviators' homes; or Framingham, Mass., based Aiglatson who sold advertising trade cards and signs. Neil Nichols of Essex, Conn., a loyal customer of Aiglatson, was particularly interested in two, four-color "Trade Cards," circa 1870s, proffered by Dr Jayne. "My wife, Alison Jayne Nichols, was a fifth generation granddaughter of Dr Jayne and her father was the last actual Dr Jayne," beamed Nichols while sporting a T-shirt that read, "Wanted Dr. D. Jayne's Almanacs/Bill-heads, Bottles/Posters, Stamps/Signs & Other Ephemera."

And in the booth of Ken Ostrow, Newton, Mass., was a rare turn-of-the-century calendar printed by Empire Brewery with a suggestive graphic: a scantily clad mistress surrounded by playful gnomes, one who is examining himself in a full length mirror only to note that his doppelganger is sporting the horns of a goat. According to Ostrow, "The goat is the sign for bock beer, or spring beer." Obviously, the gnomes were having a pretty good time as was anyone who came to Papermania.

The next Papermania event will be August 20 and 21. For information, contact show manager Arlene Shea at 860-563-9975 or www.papermania plus.com.