"Dating" Ephemera

Often times "old paper" or Ephemera, do not have dates printed on them. Research can be tedious, however is well worth the efforts. By examining items, you can collect all sorts of information. Fashion styles, car make or model, furnishings, these are just some examples of what pictures can provide in dating items. Another way is in the "printed" words. Sometimes you can find people, such as political or famous persons. With the Internet - you can google just about anyone. The Library of Congress also has a tremendous amount of items in their archives to assist in dating "old paper".

This particular item, Official Tourist Guide Book presented by the Minnesota State Tourism Bureau had no truly identifying date. The postmark was done by meter therefore not requiring a date. By examining the clothing and hairstyles as well as vehicles in the many photographs we were able to set a time frame of early 1940s. From reading through the material, we noticed the "Invitation" from His Excellency, the Governor of Minnesota, Harold E. Stassen. Wikipedia provides listing of Governors and other politicians from each state. Harold E. Stassen served as Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. Our conclusion based on the visual inspection of photos was appropriate and further confirmed by researching the Governor's term in office.