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From the Vault – Finding those unexpected historical nuggets.
September 25, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Few thrills are greater in the rare newspaper collecting hobby than finding the unexpected historic gem. Those moments of serendipity are the treasures we all hope for at some point in our quest for new additions to our collection.
I have come across many in my years of collecting with two among the more interesting.
Long before the days of the internet I subscribed to the catalogs of the prestigious Sotheby’s auction house in New York City as they occasionally ran Americana sales which included newspapers. One sale offered an 
issue of the SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE from August of 1776. Trying to assemble one newspaper of all thirteen colonies from the Revolutionary War, this would be a new addition to that set. The lengthy catalog description noted some war skirmishes but nothing significant. But that was not a concern to me as I was only seeking a title from that colony from during the war, and the date of 1776 made it that much better. I placed my bid and was excited to learn I won the issue.
Several weeks later the issue arrived. In preparing it for my collection I casually looked over the content, and you can imagine my shock upon finding on page 2 a complete printing of the Declaration of Independence! I couldn’t imagine the incompetence of the cataloger–employed by Sotheby’s no less–who missed this report.
Not many years ago we purchased the newspaper holding of a public library in Massachusetts which includes a lengthy run of a Springfield newspaper, in fact two truckloads of volumes ranging from the mid-1800’s thru the latter part of the 20th century. Knowing the wealth of historical material which could be culled from this collection we put our attention to those events for several months upon its return to our
office & warehouse in Williamsport. Some time later we realized that the sport of basketball was founded in Springfield. Could we be so fortunate to to find a report off the very first game every played? Did the local newspaper even report what is now an extremely significant event in the history of basketball?
Indeed they did. The Springfield Republican, March 12, 1892 issue reported somewhat inconspicuously on page 6 an event headed “Basket Football Game” played the day before (which we now recognize as the first public basketball game), with mention of James Naismith who is recognized as the founder of the sport. It was a thrill to find the report which languished for over 100 years, unbeknown to anyone, in the back shelves of a library. Curiously the curator of the Basketball Hall of Fame didn’t appreciate its significance, however the Smithsonian Institution did as it now is part of their collection.
What historical gems have you discovered serendipitously in issues purchased for another reason, or as part of a collection where nothing special was expected? Feel free to share your stories with other collectors!
(This post was originally published on October 13, 2008.)
They Put It In Print – Going to extreme lengths to prove another’s innocence…
September 18, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Would you step in front of a moving vehicle to push a small child out of the way of its path? Would you jump into a river to save a drowning family member? Would you kill yourself to prove a stranger’s innocence? If you are anything like me, the answers in order are: “yes”, “Yes”, and “NOT A CHANCE”. However, someone not only said “yes” to the 3rd question, he actually put his “yes” into action. How do we know? The New York Herald dated June 17, 1871 put it in print:
Einstein… Smarter than a 5th grader?
June 9, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
To even ask such a question seems a bit absurd, but let’s double it. What about a 10th grader?
As reported on the front page of the May 16, 1952 issue of The New York Times, the 70-something “genius” Albert Einstein was put to the test. How did he do? He received an A+ for kindness, and, using today’s measuring stick where everyone is a winner, he posted another high score for effort. As for his answer… go to the NYT link above to find out if he was able to go toe-to-toe with a question given to a group of 15-year-olds.
Spoiler alert! In all fairness Dr. Einstein, rumor has it the question was listed under the “Challenging Questions” portion of their assignment.
Oddities Found in Rare & Early Newspapers – 1944 edition…
March 13, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Talk about tall!!! While the humorous and the absurd can often be discovered withing the pages of old newspapers, let’s just hope this oddity found in The News-Commercial, Collins, Mississippi (July 28, 1944) was intended to be a joke.
Mr. Grady, a local business entrepreneur had recently taken over the management of a local company, and whereas the entire article was featured on the front page, due to his extended height, not all of the corresponding photo did. Enjoy.
Feel free to send your own rare & early newspaper “oddities” to me (guy@rarenewspapers.com). Please include the newspaper’s title, date, and a corresponding photo or two.
Just for fun! “Historical” Crossword Puzzle from 1931…
February 24, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We all have different interests. For example, some love to immerse themselves in history, while others prefer to plunge into crossword puzzles. But what about those who enjoy both? Can one explore the past by engaging in what I will call a (okay, “an”) historical crossword puzzle? It’s one thing to absorb a lot of knowledge about a particular time in history – and perusing through Rare & Early Newspapers from the period can certainly help the adventurer grasp how those who lived at the time perceived the world around them. However, learning to think as they did may be next to impossible. Language, available knowledge, education emphasis, social norms and variances, along with a plethora of other aspects of culture all combine to shape the way we think – and too much has changed. The quest to do so falls under the same umbrella as trying to walk in someone else’s shoes. For the sake of understanding we can do our best, but in the end, we know that while our efforts may be admirable, we can never come close to achieving the task.
Ok… too much seriousness for one post. Let’s have fun trying to think like someone who lived in the early 1930’s by indulging in a crossword puzzle printed in a Liberty (magazine), New York, dated January 31, 1931. I hope you enjoy the challenge.
Note: The answers can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. If you enjoy the adventure, let me know at guy@rarenewspapers.com. If enough respond affirmatively, we’ll post another from a different year.
Link to Answers
Scientific American’s “Not So Bright” (?) Ideas…
January 9, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Over the years our staff has written quite a few posts focused on historic and transformative inventions which were featured within early issues of the Scientific American. The phonograph, lightbulb, telephone, modern sewing machine, and thousands of other devices have all had their moment in the sun thanks to this publication. However, as is the case for many of the good ideas from the past which came to fruition and now make our lives easier, a host had rather humble beginnings. With this in mind, our resident videographer decided to gather together three examples which fall into the “humble beginnings” bucket. Please enjoy.
They put it in print, 1947 – The day Roswell became a boldfaced destination on the map…
September 12, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
With few exceptions, the most collectible/desirable “1st reports” of most major events are found in newspapers printed the day after the event occurred. However, it is hard not to ponder what people were reading in the newspapers printed on the “day of” such events. The reality that most memorable events in history took place on days in which the average person woke up to an ordinary, typical, “same-ol-same ol” world, poured themselves a cup of coffee, and sat down to read the relatively uneventful news reports reporting on the events from the prior day. What were people reading on the day of Lincoln’s assassination… the bombing of Pearl Harbor… the “twin-towers” attack… the sinking of the Titanic… the Hindenburg explosion… the 1906 San Francisco earthquake/fire… the (atomic) bombing of Hiroshima? In nearly every instance the newspapers printed and read on the day of such events including nothing whatsoever related to what was to come a mere hours later. How could they?
It is this common-sense reality which made our recent discovery of the Chicago Daily Tribune printed on the day of the “Roswell Incident” rather intriguing. See for yourself:
An oddity from 1863 – The Battle of Gettysburg…
September 9, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I don’t know about you, but if my town was occupied by enemy troops and the battle was ragging all around me, I’m thinking I would likely take up arms and join my fellow compatriots – and a host of my neighbors would certainly do the same. So, when I recently saw the illustration of “John Burns, the only man in Gettysburg, PA, who fought at the battle” on the cover of the August 22, 1863 Harper’s Weekly, I was perplexed. I understand the majority of able-bodied men were likely off to war elsewhere, but to think no one was left to “defend the home-front” other than this one man is a bit confounding. The writer of the corresponding article also took note of this curiosity, and his comments are posted below.
This statement was written shortly after the battle, and often, as time goes on, new information is unearthed. With this in mind, if anyone has information which would refute this claim, please send us a note and we will update this post. Thanks in advance.
One small step backward for humanity(?)… One giant leap forward for A.I.!
June 20, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Dystopian movies featuring A.I. as the antagonist abound. The thought of a world in which a soulless “entity” is in the lead role with humanity at its behest is terrifying. How will the relationship between A.I. and humans play out over time is anyone’s guess, but with all the benefits artificial intelligence brings to the table, I feel a little like “a moth to a flame”, and it bugs me.
Why the angst? We recently came across a Los Angeles Times dated May 12, 1997, which had coverage of the historic(?) chess match between Gary Kasparov, the reigning world champion at the time, and “Deep Blue”, an IBM supercomputer. The strings of o’s and 1’s ruled the day, defeating Kasparov in the deciding game in 19 moves. I wonder if many moons from now, when/if A.I. decides to write its own developmental timeline, if this achievement will be listed as one of significance?
Note: In case anyone is wondering, upon its victory, “Deep Blue” was NOT crowned the new World Champion of Chess.
They put it in print, 1926 – “With just the naked eye and a glove…”
March 11, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Some feats seem more like folklore than reality. Can a person, unaided in any way, catch a baseball dropped from a plane with a standard baseball glove? If it weren’t for the many witnesses who observed this amazing feat first-hand, who would have believed this actually occurred? However, on July 23, 1926, the New York Times published details of Babe Ruth’s amazing accomplishment – a record setting one at that. How do we know” They put it in print:
