Ephemera 39 Conference and Fair 

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Mark your calendar for the Ephemera Society of America’s thirty-ninth annual conference, Coming to America —The Immigrant Experience on March 14–17, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

The story of North America is a story of immigration. With the exception of its native peoples, all Americans came to this country from somewhere else. They have arrived as trailblazers and as refugees, seeking new freedoms or economic opportunities, to unite with family or to escape looming annihilation. Sadly, those who arrived as slaves were forcefully taken from their native lands. Some have been celebrated, many welcomed, and still others, reviled and subjected to cruel and exclusionary treatment. All have carried something of their home countries that has been absorbed into their adopted home. Coming to America —The Immigrant Experience will tell these stories through ephemera. The full day conference will take place on Friday, March 15, 2019.

For detailed information on each aspect of the event click here.

Schedule of Events:

(For full description of presentations and speaker bios, click here.) 

THURSDAY:
9 a.m.– 4 p.m. — Board of Directors’ meeting, Belle Haven conference room.

4:30 p.m. Roundhill Room
Young Scholars Sessions
The Young Scholars Session provides a forum where undergraduate and graduate students can discuss the ways in which ephemera has informed their studies. Student presentations are lively, varied, and always offer thoughtful insights into the role ephemera has played in American cultural and social history.

FRIDAY:
Three morning conference sessions: Roundhill Room

8:45 a.m.
Welcome
Barbara Loe, Conference Committee Chairman

8:50 a.m.
Introduction and Overview – The Statue of Liberty
Richard Sheaff, ESA President

9:00 a.m.
How Immigration Shaped American Cuisine
Henry Voigt

10:00 a.m. — 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m.
Ephemera Across Borders: Latino Immigration in the late 20th Century
Margaret Salazar-Porzio, Ph.D.

Ybor City, The Making of a Landmark Town
Anthony Carreño

Lunch Break

Four afternoon conference sessions:
Roundhill Room

1:30 p.m.
Embracing Immigration: Posters, Advertising and the Outsider
Angelina Lippert

2:15 p.m.
Lewis W. Hine: A Humanist Photographer at Ellis Island
Daile Kaplan

3:15 p.m.
What Irishmen Have Done
Sarah Weatherwax

The Sail Before the Trail: Latter-day Saint Immigration
Fred Woods, Ph.D

What’s Up, Sam Wah? Whitewashing Chinese Laundrymen
Sheng-mei Ma, Ph.D.

• 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. — Dealer Set-up

SATURDAY — Ephemera Fair Opens today!

• 8:15 a.m. — Memberships will be sold at the Ephemera Society desk at the entrance to the fair in the Grand Ballroom.

• 9 a.m. — Members-only fair preview ($10) for the Society’s 38th Annual Ephemera Fair in Grand Ballroom. Membership cards will be available at registration desk.

• 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Exhibits open in Laddins Rock.

• 10 a.m. — General public entry. Admission is $15.

• 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Silent Bid Auction in Roundhill. Many Lots. Bid early and often!

• 5 p.m. — Fair closes; reopens 11 a.m. Sunday.

• 5:30 p.m. — Silent Auction final bids close in Roundhill Room.

• 5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. — Cash Bar outside Mead ABC.

• 6:15 p.m. — Live Auction Roundhill

• 7:00 p.m. — Ephemera 39 Banquet and Presentation — Mead ABC. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. 

After Dinner Presentation
The Chinese Exclusion Act – Shaping People’s Opinions
Evie Eysenburg

9:00 a.m. Members annual meeting, Mead AB
All members are urged to attend.

9:45 a.m.
Exhibitor Roundtable – Laddins Rock
Exhibitors will have the opportunity to describe their themes and the significance of the pieces they selected. Click here if you are interested in submitting an exhibit related to this year's theme.

• 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Exhibits open in Laddins Rock.

• 4 p.m. — Ephemera 39 closes.

Register Now!