Banquet National Amateur Press Association, 36th Convention

N.p.: N.p., 1911. Paperback. Small 4to. Stiff grey textured paper with red printed decorative border and tipped-in beige label. (4pp). Very good. Elaborate menu for this gala gathering of amateur publishers, which took place at the Great Northern Hotel in Chicago on July 4, 1911. Front wrapper features a 9" X 3/4" red, white and blue ribbon threaded through three pairs of horizontal 1" slits running down the left margin. Ribbon has gilt lettering reading, "Chicago / Ill. / National / Amateur Press / Association / July / 3-4-5 / 1911." Page 3 consists of a tipped-in interior beige label (also with red printed decorative border), the "Menu" for the evening's glorious repast. One attendee (Edward F. Suhre of St. Louis, editor of the "Missourian" and NAPA presidential candidate the year before) signs in pencil above the menu, and another signs below it. The blank second page and rear wrapper (page 4) contain 29 large, bold signatures (many in bold pencil, some in ink) of attendees. Near the top is Walter F. Zahn, a young Milwaukee editor elected president at this convention. The many other signers represent a broad range of independent magazine and small press publishers and others from across the country. The National Amateur Press Association was founded in Philadelphia in 1876 by a small group of printing buffs -- the first independent amateur press association in the country -- and still exists today. Fascinating and scarce memento from this early convention.