12:15 PM


Hello and yes, I am back. For those wondering what I've been up to for weeks, I have been glued to my laptop working on my book proposal outline. I did sneak out last weekend to attend the Ephemera Society's Conference in Greenwich, Connecticut. During the event, I purchased three valentines to use in my book.
I do have a question for my civil war round tables. What does "The Cause" mean to you??? 
Email me your answers ElizabethCT@gmail.com or post them below.
Saving time is critical right now, so here's an email I sent to Jeanne who's my sounding board for my book proposal. We have company at the end of the week and like you I have chores to do.

Hello Jeanne,
The Ephemera Society Meeting Rocked! We had the best time and it was like a 
shot of Vitamin B in the arm. The people are just such gems and really 
think out of the box. A dozen of us went to a diner in Greenwich, had dessert 
and talked shop. One lady who is a museum exhibit designer was talking about 
the new exhibit at Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello and how they included 
Jefferson's offspring from Sally H.
 
I talked about Steamboat Arabia's lawsuit when a slave that fell over 
the boat and how I was going to discuss Dred Scott's lawsuit for his freedom 
since Scott was living in St. Louis when the steamboat company was defending itself in 
court. She was fascinated but never heard about the Arabia, so you can guess 
who my next email will be.




The Dred Scott Decision
 
Dred Scott v. Sanford


Besides that, the lectures were such entertainment and I learned a lot 
(as I always do)! At the trade show, I bought some booklets and the prices 
they were charging were outrageous- I broke into my piggy bank and I hope I 
didn't buy anything I could have read on Google Scholar for free.




One type of new ephemera in my collection are three 1840-1860 
Valentines. I was surprised, I thought they'd be hundreds of dollars, 
but they weren't. I asked about seeing the box of civil war and the 
lady (who is such a nice lady & honest) said, they are in the 
thousands, so I didn't look at those since all I wanted was some eye 
candy for my book at a reasonable price (in this case $45). She said 
sometimes you can find them miss marked and get them cheaper. 
Well, she had one miss marked....and I didn't tell her or rather I saw 
the card differently. According to her, the words "The Cause" applies 
to Cupid striking someone with an arrow. However, to people during 
the Civil War, especially confederates would refer to the Rebellion as 
"The Cause"....I can't recall where I learned that...but I've seen it 
repeatedly in primary sources. The card had a tear on the corner of 
the lace, but for me the middle of the card is all I needed with the 
stamp size cupid.
 
Why do I need these you ask? One of my consignees was in love with a 
Confederate women spy but she was engaged to his friend. However, his 
letters are printed in a book and are dripping about his feeling towards her and the war.



The other two cards, A flower of Loveliness is mechanical and moves the 
peddles over the lady and the Friendship that is constant is another 
phase repeated in my consignees letters.

I am making excellent progress on my book proposal and it certainly is 
not a list anymore.

My best to you & Bob,
Elizabeth