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Deciding which newspapers to offer – Bond Hall Explosion edition…
July 26, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We are often asked how we decide which newspapers from our archives to collect and/or offer to other collectors. The answer is quite involved. Is it rare, and if so, is it desirable? Is it historic? A large portion of collectible issues relate to the plethora of events we all learned about in grade school. Does it tell of a sports or political milestone… a broken record… a tragedy… a discovery… an invention? Does it have content related to another collectible (ex., model train enthusiasts love to add newspapers featuring coverage of the development of the railroad). If the answer to any of these questions (and similar) is yes, chances are the newspaper will have value to a collector of historic newspapers. Requests from collectors are also a great way to discover new issues to offer, as are movie releases, current events which relate to the past, and new books (both non- and historical fiction).
One of my favorite “reasons” for exploring our archives in the hopes of finding something new to collect and/or to offer to others is the latter: historical fiction. I think part of the fun for me is discovering whether or not a particular event I read about is more “historical” or more “fiction”.
This trek was recently inspired when I became aware of author Michelle Collins Anderson’s new novel, “The Flower Sisters”.
A review by journalist James Gardener included in part: ““The Flower Sisters” is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of history, memory, and storytelling. Join Daisy Flowers on her quest for truth and justice”.
The outcome? The photo below from an issue of the Kansas City Journal for April 15, 1928 reveals what I surmised by a brief internet search. How horrible. Unfortunately, the cause still remains a mystery.
Note: What’s a Zizzer? A town can often be defined by a single sensational event – be it tragic (in this instance), historical (Williamsburg, VA), spectacular (Aspen, Colorado), etc. It is easy to forget that these locations have much more to explore than these single moments in time. While the Bond Dance Hall was truly horrific, there is no doubt those who have lived there over time see much more. Feel free to learn more about West Plains, Missouri at: West Plains. Perhaps “Zizzer” will become part of your vocabulary. Randon thought: I wonder if Dick Van Dyke ever had a local Zizzer?
Since History Often Repeats Itself, the Past Can be an Excellent Teacher…
July 22, 2024 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Why does the saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, ring true? Perhaps it’s because of another saying, “History repeats itself”. We see this tandem of truths play out over-and-over again as we look through historic newspapers and see the headlines of today emblazed on the old worn pages of yesteryear. Below is a vivid example of this truth as shown in a FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED, New York, Oct. 10, 1885. When compared side by side with a BBC article from 130+ years later, we can see the waves of history crash on the beach of time in the same way and with a similar impact on humanity. If we hope to see the storms of the future coming in time to make ready, perhaps we should study the past a bit more closely.
This Month in History – July…
July 8, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
July was a busy month from a (an) historic perspective. While it has always been a “time for war”, some of the most amazing discoveries, accomplishments, and human advancements have also made their way onto the historic July Calander. While the list is almost endless, three-handfuls include:
- A French soldier discovers the Rosetta Stone (July 19, 1799)
- First photographs were used in a newspaper (July 1, 1848)
- U.S. Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor (July 12, 1862)
- P.T. Barnum’s Museum burns down (July 13, 1865)
- Philadelphia Zoo opens, the first zoo in the U.S. (July 1, 1874)
- President Garfield is shot (July 2, 1881)
- Louis Pasteur successfully gives first anti-rabies vaccination to nine-year-old (July 6, 1885)
- The 16th Amendment, the power to tax income, is passed by Congress (July 12, 1909)
- Albert Einstein introduces his Theory of Relativity (July 1, 1905)
- “Lady Astor’s Bill” passes lowering UK drinking age to 18 (July 13, 1923)
- The bikini is showcased for the first time (July 5, 1946)
- Walt Disney’s Disneyland opens in Anaheim, CA (July 17, 1955)
- The first moon walk takes place (July 20, 1969)
- Hank Aaron hits his 755th and last home run (July 20, 1976)
- First ‘Test Tube Baby’ is born (July 25, 1978)
For those who have interest in exploring the available newspapers at RareNewspapers.com which may contain reports on some of the above, along with a host of other newsworthy articles, a link to the chronological list is shown below. We hope you enjoy your trek.
NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN JULY
Sometimes you just know what it means – The Spirit of ’76…
July 4, 2024 by Laura Heilenman · 1 Comment
Sometimes you hear a word or a phrase and even though you can’t clearly give a written definition, you just have a gut feeling of what it means. Earlier today, when I was looking at a Picture and Magazine section from a Chicago Sunday Tribune, July 4, 1926, I breezed by the caption of the front-page image… The Spirit of ’76. After a moment, I found my mind wasn’t so much thinking of what that phrase meant, but instead, I was struck by the emotions which had been stirred… pride (in a good way as my mother would say), determination & a deep sense of purpose. Wanting to see if the phrase, “The Spirit of ’76” had a clear definition, I went to Wikipedia and found the following…
“The Spirit of ’76 is a sentiment explored by Thomas Jefferson. According to the text published at Monticello, “The principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence promised to lead America—and other nations on the globe—into a new era of freedom. The revolution begun by Americans on July 4, 1776, would never end. It would inspire all peoples living under the burden of oppression and ignorance to open their eyes to the rights of mankind, to overturn the power of tyrants, and to declare the triumph of equality over inequality.”
Thomas Jewett wrote that at the time of the American Revolution, there was “an intangible something that is known as the ‘Spirit of ’76.’ This spirit was personified by the beliefs and actions of that almost mythical group known as the Founding Fathers and is perhaps best exemplified by Thomas Jefferson.”
Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress believed the Spirit of ’76 “included the ‘self-evident’ truths of being ‘created equal’ and being ‘endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights’ including ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'” ~ Wiki
Hmmmm… “an intangible something”. I would agree this spirit is hard to completely capture with words, but it can certainly be understood with a feeling, a picture, or a flag, and it is certainly a “spirit” we need in abundance today.
Announcing: Catalog #344 for July, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
June 28, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
The Power of Music… Classics Never go out of Style!
June 24, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Has anyone else noticed how music from the 60’s-90’s has made a huge cultural comeback? From movies to commercials… from concerts to radio, the oldies but goodies are being sung (or at least hummed) by everyone from Boomers to Gen Zers. Music not only soothes the savage beast, it also brings whimsy to a warm summer day and sets the mood for a cozy winter evening. So, it is not surprising that collectors LOVE the concert ads in THE VILLAGE VOICE out of Greenwich Village, NY. Interests range from Bob Dylan, Kiss and The Grateful Dead to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tiny Tim (with his famous ukulele). This retro music can whisk us away to a memory tucked in the back of our minds and flood us with all the emotions we felt as our younger selves. Almost daily, as I prep these concert ads for our collectors, I am transported to a music memory from long ago and reminded again that newspaper collecting has a sweet spot for everyone.
Inspiration Comes in All Shapes, Sizes & Stories…
June 21, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Years ago (36 to be exact), my husband shared with me one of his favorite books of all time: Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot. For those not familiar with this true story, Elizabeth’s husband and 4 other missionaries were taken and killed by the Auca tribe in Ecuador. Jump forward several decades to yesterday when our newest employee, who is currently enrolled in a missionary aviation, excitedly searched through the archives to find issues regarding this horrible event. To his elation he found several newspapers with real-time (contemporary) coverage. I was delighted to see the love of something which had captured my husband’s fascination as a young man still have the power to inspire a younger generation. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of newspaper collecting; no matter where your passions lie, there’s likely a newspaper with a report, ad, or headline which will relate to it.
Snapshot 1973 – Henry Kissinger – 1st ethnic Jew & 1st naturalized U.S. citizen to become Secretary of State…
June 7, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When it comes to politics and ethnicity, gender, religion, etc., U.S. firsts are noteworthy. A few which stand out are John F. Kennedy (1st Roman Catholic President), Barack Obama (1st black President), Kamala Harris (1st female and 1st black Vice-President), Antonin Scalia (1st Italian-American Supreme Court Justice), Hiram Revels (1st former slave to serve as a U.S. Senator), etc. The list of such significant milestones is almost endless.
Although it took place during my lifetime, to my loss one failed to capture the attention of my (then) 14-year-old mind. However, thanks to a collector’s request to see if we had coverage of the tragic death of singer-songwriter Jim Croce, my digging within our archives turned up a September 22, 1973 News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) which not only had a report on his death, but also featured the front-page headline: “KISSINGER CONFIRMED IN 78-7 VOTE” – telling of his becoming both the first Jewish-American AND first naturalized citizen to be confirmed as Secretary of State. He was sworn in the following day. Quite historic. Such “finds” are nearly a daily occurrence in the lives of our Rare & Early Newspapers’ staff – just one more reason to love this collectible!
This Month in History – June…
June 3, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Continuing with our series of “This Month in History”, we thought we’d jump right in and provide the link to the available issues which were published during the month of June. This time around we’ve arranged them in chronological order to provide a newspaper version of a walk forward through time – from 1666 to 2022. Enjoy.
Announcing: Catalog #343 for June, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
May 31, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The June catalog (#343) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]