History

July 13, 1911

The National Association of Steel and Copper Plate Engravers held the first organized meeting of a group dedicated to intaglio engraving. Years later, the Association’s name was changed to Engravographia and remained the Association’s name through the 17th Annual Convention in July 1927.

1928

The Association’s name was changed to Engraved Stationery Manufacturers’ Association (ESMA).

July 22, 1938

During a meeting in Washington DC, Engraved Stationery Manufacturers’ Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization under Section 101 (7) of the Internal Revenue Code.

July 17-19, 1939

The first ESMA Annual Convention was held at Hotel Pennsylvania in New York, NY.

1945

The Annual Convention was cancelled because of World War II as it caused a huge shortage of copper in the Stationery Engraving industry. In order to gain effective representation with the federal government, John A. Bresnahan, a Washington, DC attorney was hired. After guiding the Association through that problem, he was retained as legal counsel and manager until February 1967.

1947

ESMA recognized the need for a styles and forms book for social engraving. After more than a year of writing, editing and reviewing by many authorities, a modern, up-to-date book was published in 1949. This book has several revised additions and continues to be a resource for the industry.

August 1, 1952

Twenty-two ESMA members contributed five hundred dollars each and founded the Engraved Stationery Manufacturers’ Research Institute. The purpose of the Institute was to engage in scientific research in the field of Engraved Stationery Manufacturing. One of the first projects was to research a new type of ink, and this research created the ink that is the predecessor of our present day quick drying inks.

1967 – 1968

Discussions were conducted with Printing Industries of America (PIA) for ESMA to become a special industry group of PIA.

1968 – 1969

EMSA does a yearlong trial as a special industry group of PIA. At the same time, exploratory talks took place with Printing Industry of Illinois in Chicago for the management of ESMA

1970

The EMSA Board voted to become affiliated with the Printing Industry of Illinois (PII) and was managed by that Association until the end of 1980.

September 25, 1978

OSHA Program Directive 100-105 was put into effect. The purpose of the directive was to provide guidance for point of operation regarding requirements relative to hand-fed engraving presses in the Engraved Stationery Industry. To this day, the directive remains in effect.

1980 – 1981

ESMA transfers management of the organization from PII to PIAS. Harris Griggs becomes the ESMA Association Manager.

1985

Under the guidance of John Black, Excelsior Process and Engraving, the ESMA Operator Training Program was complete and distributed to subscribing members.

December 1987

Following the death of long-time ESMA member, William J. Kernan, Jr., of William J. Kernan & Son Engraving Co., Detroit, MI, EMSA was notified that it was named a beneficiary in the last will and testament of Mr. Kernan. William J. Kernan Jr. left EMSA $108, 807.81. The will specified that interest earned be used for the teaching and instruction of intaglio engraving or research projects for the engraving industry.

Notable projects developed by the Kernan Fund interest includes the Peri-etch video, the Engravers Education Book and the Design To Touch project.

July 1991

William and House, a PR firm, presented the initial planning of the Engraving Promotion Program. Numerous projects were developed by Williams and House with the guidance and approval of the ESMA Board of Directors.

November 1996

The ESMA member pledge method of funding PR projects was replaced by the Ink Industry Sponsored Program. A surcharge for ink purchases was collected by the ink manufacturers and remitted to ESMA.

June 1999

The name of ESMA was changed to International Engraved Graphics Association (IEGA).

May 2005

IEGA participated in the National Stationery Show held annually at the Javits Center, New York, NY to promote the intaglio engraved product.

June 2010

The Design School Project, with the leadership of Robert H. Busch, ALL-STATE Legal, Cranford, NJ was put into place. The target audience for the finished product was the design community and design schools. The project provided the target audience with many items of interest, including the textbook “Design to Touch,” teaching curriculum, and website. The project was funded with earnings from the William J. Kernan, Jr. Education Fund.

August 2013

The first order was placed for the “Design to Touch Book”.

2015

Harris Griggs retires and Ed Chalifoux become the IEGA Association Manager.

2015

Is the first year IEGA participates in the HOW Design Live Show. IEGA has continued to have a booth at the HOW show each year since then.