Compiling Australia's historical record ranks among the nation's most significant achievements since Federation in 1901. During the 1890s, the national idealism inherent in the Federation debate generated unprecedented local interest in printed Australiana. Alfred Lee, whose album and story are featured here, was one of the ardent collectors whose passion and rivalry has provided us with a remarkably complete record of Australian history. This record is vital to understanding the nation's identity and 'printed ephemera' is one fascinating element. [...] The main aims of the Project were to: (1) Create a virtual collection of Federation Ephemera as a State Library of New South Wales' contribution to the Centenary of Federation celebrations in 2001. The images chosen provide a populist perspective on the Federation story. (2) Complement the University of Sydney's Australian Federation Full Text Database and other Federation material available on the web. (3) Create a quality research web site that provides contextual information about the history of Australian Federation. (4) Improve intellectual and physical access to, and use of, the collection for all clients and to preserve rare, unique, fragile and valuable historical materials by limiting physical access and providing digital access. (5) Create a web site dedicated to the genre of Printed Ephemera and Federation Ephemera. [...] The Federation Ephemera Archive covers the whole Federation process from the late 1880s through to 1901. An unpublished album compiled by Mr Alfred Lee forms the basis of the archive. [...] The Alfred Lee album is complemented by selections from: (1) two unpublished collections of handbills - a collection of Australian Federation handbills and press cuttings, 1891-1901 - a collection of Australian Federation handbills, 1898-1899 (2) the Library's collection of coins and medals (3) the manuscript and ephemera collections. [self-description]