Featured An interesting piece of American Eagle Assoc. history [?]

...but I can't seem to locate the history.
Found it framed. An an admission ticket or invitation perhaps? 3" x 4" sturdy paper, embossed around border and has an iridescent color to it. Extremely good condition.
Hard to believe it could be that old. But I have no clue. Still searching, but since you guys are so amazing I thought I'd post it....

 

That is very cool. It could be an original, or it could be a print. I have no idea, but I'd love to have that!

 

Is that 1831 or 1851? Printing looks way more modern than either to me.

 

Took some doing, but I did find a reference to the Second Annual Ball of the American Eagle Association, held at Congress Hall in Paterson, NJ in 1852.

https://books.google.com/books?id=JnIAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq="american+eagle+Association"&source=bl&ots=QqE4-2Kv5v&sig=VOonljHwV25s-WYDLGX4Ooe8IjE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT7aCNk7rXAhVB92MKHdC8APMQ6AEIRTAG#v=onepage&q="american eagle Association"&f=false

 

Note that the paragraph in that book references another "chapter" of said organization in New Jersey, members of which are going to be attending the Ball in Patterson. I wonder whether this was a predecessor of the current "Eagles" fraternal group?

 

You're a beautiful Human! I'll need to follow your lead Bakersgma, I didn't get far in my research, but I think when I looked up Congress Hall, it took me to Cape May cty.. Was trying to verify if this Ball actually took place on this date. But apparently there was a big fire [after the fact], everything lost & rebuilt again.
That's as far as I got. Was going to look into the names listed at the bottom for more clues.

 

How do I authenticate something like this?

 

I started there too, hemster, but figured a grand ball in the dead of winter in Cape May was unlikely.

Then I switched to American Eagle Association in quotes and got the google books hit fairly quickly.

 

You're going to have to take it out of the frame and then find some source of expertise on whether the paper and printed surface would have been possible in the 1850's.

But if you get really lucky, there will be something else inside the frame that will help - like a note or writing on the back or some such. Looks like a modern framing job.

 

The third photo above is it removed from the frame. [not very good photo I guess]
I'll try again.

 

Oh! I thought it was just close up - but now that you say the - sure enough, the matte isn't there. Duh.

So step one is done, now for step 2!

 

What does the back look like? Same shiny surface or not?

 

Its reverse embossed from the front, clean as a whistle. I'll try to get a real good picture, but it feels like rubber coated paper. [only way I can think to describe it]

 

Not shiny though. Not like the frontside

 

Hi,
Only have one comment. The town is Paterson NJ not Patterson. I am having trouble seeing this with colored ink in the letters. I was sure a posting official as this was would have been in proper black ink and not "prettied" up with color ink.
greg

 

Sorry about the misspelling, Greg. All fixed.

 

Looking at it through a magnifying glass, there is no black ink in the lettering.

 

I'm seeing a modern reproduction. I agree with Greg - shaded coloring on the ink would not have been around then. The embossed border almost seems like it was a copy of the original frame on the original certificate. Maybe it was made for an anniversary of some kind.

 

Any advice on where to bring pieces like this for up close evaluation?