They put it in print… Forget the boxer: don’t mess with his wife…

September 28, 2015 by · 2 Comments 

Blog-9-28-2015-Wife-of-BoxerAn early 1800’s article of a grudge boxing match in London reports an interesting ending, when the losing boxer’s wife steps forward to challenge the assistant of the winning boxer. The October 25, 1805 issue of the Middlesex Gazette (Middletown, CT) states: “…They set to in great style & the wife rallied her opponent handsomely. She fought 14 strait…rounds and so completely disfigured the head of Leveret that he yielded to her superior science in the pugilistic art…The second was by far the best fight, and the delicate lady challenged her husband’s rival on the spot.” Forget the boxer… Don’t mess with his wife.

Great Headlines Speak For Themselves… Sinking of the Titanic…

September 24, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with THE TRIBUNE, Los Angeles, April 16, 1912:  “TITANIC SINKS; 675 ARE SAVED” “1800 GO DOWN IN SHIP, REPORT” (see below). We also have a nice Pinterest board with Titanic headlines: TitanicBlog-9-24-2015-Titanic

The Traveler… a sweet business…

September 21, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

Blog-9-21-2015-SugarToday I traveled to back London, England by The London Chronicle of September 21, 1765. I found the reporting of some sweet business happening in New England, the making of maple syrup! “Having chosen out a large maple-tree, suitable for the purpose, they with an axe box it…a kind of trough is prepared… in order to retain the sap as it runs down. By this means upwards of 30 gallons from one tree has been drawn in a day;…  produces a sugar, the grain of which is equal in fineness to the the Jamaica…  upwards of 600 lb. was made by one man the last season…”

~The Traveler

A West Coast collector amasses a large collection…

September 17, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

Richard Robinson was a long-time collector of historic newspapers, having begun at the age of 10 in the mid-1940’s & continuing  to add to his collection until his passing earlier this year. He was one of a small number of serious Blog-9-17-2015-Richard-Robinsonnewspaper collectors from that era.

Having grown up in Beverly Hills, California, it is not surprising that a majority of his issues were from the Los Angeles area. Fortunately both the “Herald Express” and the “Examiner” typically used large, “screaming” headlines desired by collectors today. Although he had some issues from the 18th and 19th centuries, the lion’s share of his collection was made up with those from the era in which lived. How great it would have been to add to a collection reports on the end of World War II and later by simply paying the 10 cent price at the newsstand!

This front page article in the Feb. 26, 1952 issue of the “Beverly Hills Bulletin shows him as a 12 year old student when his collection included some 1000 newspapers. At the time of his passing the number had to have grown to 50,000 or more.

In a correspondence with him many years ago I recall him stating that he never paid more than $5 for any newspaper in his collection. Many were simply given to him. He noted as one of his prize editions the famous “Chicago  Daily Tribune” with the “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline, which the Tribune offered to buy back from him for $25. He refused.

They put it in print… a prophetic statement on “modern technology”…

September 14, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

The New York Times” issue of March 25, 1878, has a fascinating editorial which is a reflection of how people were panicked by the lack of privacy over 100 years ago as they are Blog-9-14-2015-Thomas-Edisontoday.

The piece about Edison’s latest invention: “The Aerophone” goes on to detail how Edison’s work is destroying society. It begins: “Something ought to be done to Mr. Edison, and there is a growing conviction that it had better be done with a hemp rope. Mr. Edison has invented too many things, and…they are things of the most deleterious character. He has been addicted to electricity..” and railing on including mention that his phonograph is responsible for destroying privacy & making it impossible for anyone to talk to anyone any more, etc. The column-long editorial ends with an over-the-top fear for the fall of society, including: “…The result will be the complete disorganization of society. Men & women will flee from civilization & seek the silence of the forest relief from the roar of countless aerophones. Business, marriage, and all social amusements will be thrown aside…It may be too late to suppress the aerophone now, but at least there is time to visit upon the head of its inventor the just indignation of his fellow countrymen.”

A fascinating report in light of current-day concerns for lack of privacy.

Old Newspapers… New Value…

September 10, 2015 by · 6 Comments 

Blog-9-10-2015-New-Orleans-PicayuneWe just became aware of a post featured on The Atlantic in regards to a large collection of newspapers from New Orleans that is quite interesting. Please enjoy:

Old Newspapers, New Value – How 30,000 antique New Orleans newspapers listed on Craigslist found a new home.

The Traveler… the sinking of the Hesperian…

September 7, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

Blog-9-17-2015-Hesperian-SinkingToday I traveled to New York City by the way of the New York Tribune of September 7, 1915. The headline is of the tragic sink of the Hesperian. “Hesperian Sinks; 26 Dead; No Excuse for Act Found; Disavowal Is Expected”. “With all of the twenty-give missing passengers and crew of the Hesperian, torpedoed Saturday evening, now given up as lost, the total death list… stands at twenty-six… Wesley Frost telegraphed today to the American Embassy that the Admiralty authorities had not been informed officially that the Hesperian had been torpedoed without warning, but that they believed this was the case. Persons so far seen stated that no warning was given…”

~The Traveler

Great Headlines Speak For Themselves… Jean Harlow dies…

September 3, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with the HERALD EXPRESS–EXTRA, Los Angeles, June 7, 1937: “FILM STAR JEAN HARLOW  DIES; WM. POWELL, FAMILY AT SIDE“…

Blog-9-3-2015-Jean-Harlow-death

A September stroll thru time… 1815… 1865… 1915… 1945…

September 1, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

What news was reported in the month of September – 50, 100, 150, and 200 years ago? Such a walk back through time via the eyes of those who read the daily and weekly newspapers of the period can be quite revealing. This is why we often say, “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day Blog-9-1-2015-Hesperian-Sinksit was first reported.” The following links will take you back in time to show the available newspapers from the Rare & Early newspapers website. There’s no need to buy a thing. Simply enjoy the stroll.
September, 1965 – 50 years ago
September, 1915 – 100 years ago
September, 1865 – 150 years ago
September, 1815 – 200 years ago