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Frank DeFreitas's Blog (22)

Ephemera in Space

While there is debate as to the validity of digital ephemera, one thing is certain: it is the only way to send it to another planet! Read and see more about this incredible voyage to Saturn HERE. . Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on November 22, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

The Typewriter: Champion of Ephemera

Second only perhaps to the printing press itself, no other machine has created more ephemera than the typewriter. From personal correspondence to shipping and receiving -- and everything in between. Almost magically, the typewriter is making a comeback, even in this age of instant electronic communication. F… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on November 19, 2009 at 7:30am — 3 Comments

Laser Hologram Postcard

There aren't too many postcards available in the world today that contain a real 3D laser hologram. There are other types of 3D postcards, such as lenticulars that have been around for decades. But postcards with holograms are a true rarity. Believe me, I look for them all the time (including postcard shows!). So,… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on October 26, 2009 at 4:26am — No Comments

South Jersey Postcard Club Show

Last weekend I attended POCAX 2009, a postcard event put on b… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on October 22, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

Art Groten on The Ephemera Show

Hello everyone. Art Groten is my latest guest on The Ephemera Show. Although Art is the incoming 2010 President of The Ephemera Society, we focused on "Art the Collector" for this installment. Just stop by the web site to listen to this latest show. Tell your friends! Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on October 15, 2009 at 5:18am — No Comments

My Trip to Woodstock

Looking out from the stage area to the rolling hills that held a "sea of people".

This week marks the 40th anniversary (1969-2009) of the Woodstock music and arts festival, held in Bethel, New York. I thought it was time to visit the site, which now houses a 30-million dollar museum and cent

… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on August 11, 2009 at 7:58am — 2 Comments

Xylography: the last wood engraver in Germany

I couldn't help thinking of our modern-day computer graphics this morning while reading this short article on the last wood engraver in Germany. This could be something similar for us in the year 2109 . . . as the last computer artist sells their studio equipment to a museum (if it takes that long this time around). Coming from the printing trades myself, and at age 53, I was born into the new era of automation and computerization that swept the industry. I started off with paper tape machines… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on August 2, 2009 at 9:20am — 2 Comments

Real World Ephemera #1

Everywhere I go, I am always looking for ephemera. It is not hard to find! Recently, I have been taking my camera and capturing pictures of some of the ways ephemera is being used out there in the "real world". Here, then, are a few of the latest that are worthy of posting: 1. The Allentown Fair
The Great Allentown Fair (as it is known and promoted) has a 150-year history. In celebration, they dedicated an entire wall to t… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on June 27, 2009 at 1:00pm — 9 Comments

Pandemic: Disinfected Mail

With a possible swine flu global pandemic in the making, my thoughts went immediately to routes of transmission. One of the lesser noted ways of becoming infected was thought by receiving a "carrier" piece of mail through the post. This belief was held up until the 19th century. Smal… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on April 28, 2009 at 6:30am — 2 Comments

Ephemera 29: Field Report

I have a blog post on my trip to Ephemera 29 in Old Greenwich, CT. You can find it at Antiquarian Holographica.

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Added by Frank DeFreitas on March 23, 2009 at 5:00am — No Comments

Early Spring Road Trip

My wife and I got antsy and hit the road today. Wound up in Hershey, PA and spent a good part of the afternoon at one of the "Antique Malls" there. Saw my first really nice collection of cigarette cards. Absolutely beautiful and the complete sets were framed so nicely (and reasonably priced I might add). I also held a World War I sugar rationing punch card in my hands. Now I must say that something like that gets one to thinking. I wondered if anything like that could happen in today's day and a… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on March 12, 2009 at 4:48pm — No Comments

Cliff Aliperti on Auction Wally Show

Our own Cliff Aliperti was on the Auction Wally Show earlier tonight talking about ephemera. I didn't get a chance to hear the show live, so I downloaded it to make a CD and listen later. If you'd like to visit, here's link to the Auction Wally Show (podcast)… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on February 10, 2009 at 7:00pm — 2 Comments

Holography Ephemera Video

Produced a short video on collecting holography in print (ephemera):

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Added by Frank DeFreitas on November 27, 2008 at 1:49pm — 1 Comment

JFK, a mail bag, mind control & remote viewing . . .

If you're interested in rather unusual items, here's a post for you that combines John Kennedy, a White House mailbag (memorabilia), mind control, remote viewing. And an ephemera tie-in. Here's a QUICK LINK to the post with photos. Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on November 24, 2008 at 7:00am — 4 Comments

Does Age Matter to You?

How important is the age of a piece of ephemera to you? Can a piece of paper from 2008 hold as much interest to you as a piece of paper from 1908? If not, then when does the transition begin from non-interest to interest? After 10 years have gone by? 20 years? 50 or more years? Centuries? To take the definition of ephemera at its most straight-forward interpretation, age shouldn't matter at all. I have yet to find the terms "age", "date" or "era" mentioned in any explanation of ep… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on November 6, 2008 at 10:00am — 8 Comments

John Lennon / Yoko Ono Ephemera

I recently posted at my Antiquarian Holographica Blog about several exhibits of ephemera by artist Yoko Ono. I will include links to them in this post, so that TEN members can view photos of the exhibit(s) online. Yoko has always been keenly aware of art on the printed page (and of the printed page AS art), along with a strong use of typography throughout these pieces (so… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on October 28, 2008 at 8:39am — 1 Comment

Holography in Print: The Book

Well, I guess sooner or later it had to happen, so it might as well be now. I'm going to write a guide to collecting holography-related ephemera. During my recent annual Fall trek into the wilderness, I was able to put a Table of Contents together (while side-stepping snakes). Now I'm back in the city, it's time to begin typing away and getting high-quality photography done over the long, Winter months. Is there… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on October 9, 2008 at 9:30am — 6 Comments

National Civil War Museum

I had to deliver a 30 x 40 cm, glass plate hologram to the National Civil War Museum on Wednesday (from a civil war holography program I was involved with earlier in the year). It was a great day for a trip, weather-wise, and the area of the museum is in such a beautiful setting. It is located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (which is located, in turn, close to the famous Amish farmlands). I met with their curator/archivist Brett Kelley, and I was lucky enough to have the good fortune to be given… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on September 25, 2008 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

Something Old, Something New (again)

I have been online for 15 years now (back to the days of text-only bulletin boards and 9600 baud modems). In defiance of this ever-increasing technological world, I have decided to return once again to print-based forms of communication and correspondence. I have started to design new stationary, envelopes, business cards, post cards, book marks, etc. I am also thinking of discontinuing my eZine, and going back to a print-based newsletter (of which I published from 1983 through the mid 1990's).… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on September 10, 2008 at 8:30am — 3 Comments

Ephemera as History Lesson

Ephemera can be utilized to make certain that any given field's history is never forgotten. In its purest form, it is physical evidence of people, techniques, technology, equipment, and social interaction (to name just a few examples). Through ephemera one can gain an understanding and appreciation of how a field evolved to where it is today, and help predict where it where be tomorrow. My own ephemera interest, the Nobel prize-winning field of holography, is now beginning to change rapidly. Au… Continue

Added by Frank DeFreitas on September 2, 2008 at 7:30am — 1 Comment