This Month in History – March…

March 8, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

When considering the month of March what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:

  • the “Articles of Confederation” was ratified
  • the Lindberg baby was kidnapped
  • FDR gave his “Fear Itself” speech
  • the famous Woman’s Suffrage March took place in Washington, D.C.
  • the Philippines gained independence
  • the Peace Corps was established
  • Ulysses S. Grant became the commander of the Union armies
  • Albert Einstein , David Livingston, and Wyatt Earp (among a long list of others) were born
  • the Boston Massacre occurred
  • the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by the Senate
  • the Spanish Flu struck America
  • Patrick Henry declared: “…give me liberty, or give me death!”
  • the War in Iraq began
  • the “Camp David Accord” was signed by Menachem Begin & Anwar Sadat
  • the death of Isaac Newton
  • Churchill gave his “Iron Curtain” speech
  • the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was founded
  • the Soviet Republic of Georgia declared their independence

Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.

The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.

NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MARCH

 

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”…

December 13, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

The world-famous article shown below appeared in THE (New York) SUN on September 21, 1897. It is certainly one of the most challenging issues to collect as few are known to exist. It has been said this may very well be the most recognized editorial of all time. Found on page 6 and headed: “Is There a Santa Claus?”, this is the famous “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial written by Francis Pharcellus Church, a sardonic Columbia College graduate & veteran Sun writer, he produced a masterpiece in fewer than 500 words.

Although the letter from Virginia and the famous response by Church have become well known (translated into 20 languages), few would know the prefacing paragraph which immediately precedes Virginia’s letter: “We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:…” and then Virginia’s letter and Church’s response.

The famous phrase “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…” begins the second paragraph, and the letter closes with: “…No Santa Claus!  Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

The press tracked Virginia until her retirement as a 70-year-old school teacher, while Church remained anonymous as the author until his death in 1906.

As for Church, he was a hardened cynic and an atheist who had little patience for superstitious beliefs, did not want to write the editorial, and refused to allow his name to be attached to the piece. More than a century later, it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language. This reality is a great reminder to all of us to always give our best effort, even when we don’t necessarily agree with those whom are in authority over us – moral conflicts accepted.

So, for a few brief moments let’s set aside the weight of “enlightenment” which is pressed upon us by virtue of adulthood and attempt to appreciate the sweet exchange between a “cynical” journalist and a curious, yet innocent, young girl. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ALL!

The reason I collected it: Dodge’s Literary Museum…

August 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Mastheads of newspapers through the centuries offer a very wide assortment of styles, sizes and decorativeness, with many being quite mundane. Only the “special” ones make it to the private collection, and “Dodge’s Literary Museum” is one.
Any newspapering which the masthead consumes one-third of the front page qualifies. This title’s masthead engraving consumes over half of the front page, very unusual as such. The content may be literary items with no “newsy” reports, but the front page is certainly worth of collecting, regardless of what is inside.21

The Stuff of Legends… Paul Revere and his ride into near-mythical status…

August 8, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 

Whether it is an Ian Flemming Novel or one by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, there is something about cloak and dagger … slinking through the shadows or breath-catching action which captures the imagination. If one is able to combine these with a real-life story, all the better! I would argue such is the case with The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Inspiring both children, from their earliest years in school, to great poets and artists in their time, Paul Revere exhibited both courage and savvy to evade the British in passing along his critical cry of warning. On December 5, 1795, The COLUMBIAN CENTINEL Boston, gives the account of Paul Revere’s legendary ride on the eve of the battle of Lexington and Concord. The best spy account in American History? I’ll let you decide.

Journalism from Early America to the Digital Age… Election Fraud and more…

June 10, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 

Someone recently brought to my attention an article posted on the website “Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas”. While scanning the article I was intrigued by the presence of illustrations of newspapers we have or have previously offered. One in particular which caught my attention was the timely political cartoon by Thomas Nast found in the Oct. 7, 1871 issue of Harper’s Weekly. While a degree of election fraud is (unfortunately) part-and-parcel of the election process, I was inspired to read through the entire article, and in so doing, found it to be quite informative… and wondered if the friends of Rare & Early Newspapers might also find it interesting. Hopefully you will also enjoy reading it:

“Journalism from Early America to the Digital Age”

 

Newspaper Curiosities in 1867 from the Harper’s New Monthly Magazine…

February 28, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 

In a strange twist within this unique collecting niche, I came across a nine-page essay within the Harper’s Monthly of September 1867.  Imagine my interest in uncovering the following opening:

The history of newspapers has been frequently, but perhaps never yet fully, written.  However, that may be, the history of the press of this country is very far from being complete.  Many important facts are wrapped in obscurity, requiring incredible industry to bring them to light; and he would be a benefactor to literature who should reveal them in naked simplicity.

The author (whose name I cannot discern recorded within the volume) begins with the first press, “established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, eighteen years after the landing of the Pilgrims, where it was operated for forty years without a rival in America.”  He goes on to say that 1644 marked the appointment of “censors of the press”, and that Boston saw its first press thirty years later, and that the Boston News-Letter reported the news from Europe — thirteen months after the fact.  There are many interesting details quoted concerning the earliest days of colonization, followed by the appearance of the New England Courant, the American Weekly Mercury, the Pennsylvania Gazette, the Boston Evening Post and the Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser, all of which preceded the dailies begun with the Pennsylvania Packet in 1794.

One appealing aspect of this article, beyond the timeline which includes excerpts from most of the earliest papers, is the outside perspective.  The writer acknowledges that all we can know is limited to the information reported, subject to a selection process influenced by the motivation/perspective/experience of the editor.  Thus it has always been, and likely will always be.

They put it in print – an 1877 opinion of The Press…

January 6, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 

Sometimes a picture says it all. The illustration below was printed in a Harper’s Weekly dated June 2, 1877, but left undated some might think it is a recent print. Do these “1000 words” from the 19th century, in fact, have staying power? You decide.

I’m New Here: A Few Changes…

January 31, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

This week has gone by in a blur.  The (exciting) new catalog ships out tomorrow, and all the attendant hoopla has filled our schedules.  It’s always a juggling act to maintain regular work around special projects, because there is plenty of the latter to pack our days.

A seasoned collector was filling gaps prior to an approaching exhibit, and he called to have me check a New York Times obituary in 1898.  We didn’t have the date it ran, and I exhausted all the other major papers.  However, the deceased was an abolitionist who also contributed to the effort to gain the vote for women.  As a last ditch effort I pulled a volume of the Woman’s Journal from Washington DC, and found a lengthy tribute to Robert Purvis.  Mr. G was quite pleased, and I felt triumphant with my find, particularly as it led me to delve into my favorite category – publications in which women played an important role.  Although much content pertains to suffrage, there seems to have been an effort to provide a platform for intelligent discussion that encompassed many other aspects of life in the 1800’s.  These journals are a valuable resource for a look into the 19th Century, and I am always glad to fulfill an order with one of these gems.

As I begin this second year here at Rare & Early Newspapers, I am planning to dedicate my last post each month to a look at our titles, beginning with the Woman’s Journal.  Hopefully, I can unearth enough nuggets that you will all start to consider that a collection cannot possibly be complete without containing at least an issue or two from the Woman’s Tribune, The Woman’s Journal, The North Shore Review, the Ladies Magazine or Womankind.

Thank you for the kind comments and encouragement in this first year.  I beg your continued forbearance as I wade more deeply into the water.

Cheers!

I’m New Here: Week Forty-Three…

January 3, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Recently, a collector asked me to verify the presence of a continuing report within the Gazette of the United States – the Davila Discourse, which discusses political implications of a republican form of government, as perceived by John Adams in the early days of the young country.  Mr. K offered the information that the section title printed within the sub-heading was not accurate, but a misidentification on the part of the publisher.  Instead, he referenced an outside scholarly source to identify the sequence of text.

My son was old enough during the 2000 presidential election to be fascinated with the process.  At his request, his grandmother kept every newspaper from the week before, through the many days following that strange Tuesday in this nation’s history.  Most notable in his collection, however, is the issue that proclaimed Al Gore as the winner.  This week I began thinking about the erroneous publication of “news” at historically crucial times.

Various reports of death have been “grossly exaggerated” – in fact, Wikipedia has alphabetically indexed 14 pages of such premature obituaries.  In the Rare and Early Newspaper world one of the most well-known gaffes is the Chicago Tribune Dewey Defeats Truman.  As I am new and just learning of these,  I am appalled to find yet another winding road away from the details I am supposed to be taking care of during my working day.

Ultimately, a thing is not true just because it appeared in print.  However, an editorial error can be quickly identified by reviewing the publishing context.  Those of this community who have a more seasoned perspective might enjoy sharing some favorite errors with me via this blog, in case an opportunity arises to do a little wandering in my second year…

I’m New Here: Weeks Fourteen & Fifteen…

May 24, 2019 by · Leave a Comment 

Last week I didn’t post because I was involved in a local amateur production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.  Consequently, I returned to work with many dramatic musical numbers dictating the soundtrack of my mind.  Perhaps that influenced my interest in an assigned hunt for a title that reported on the death of the “Leather Man” in 1839.

I found it, and duly replied back to the collector.  But I also took a little bit of a break to search out the meager story of this individual who was a vagabond for 32 years of his life.  The inscription on his tombstone describes a man, “who regularly walked a 365-mile route through Westchester and Connecticut from the Connecticut River to the Hudson living in caves in the years 1858–1889.”  Like clockwork, apparently, he completed his circuit every year and was greeted and given hospitality by many along the way who would normally reject any other vagrant.  The internet provides an intriguing image of this leather patchworked fellow in his exile from the rhythms of normal life.

And, with the tortured song of the male lead sounding in my head, I wondered at the days preceding his arrival; what made him the man who came to be known this way?

Was he tormented and driven to trudge through the days, or was this a happy occupation for a human being – leaving behind the established cares of civilized life, content to cover so much ground in so many hours for the prescribed revolutions of the sun?  Either way, or something in-between, he made it to the second page of The New York Times.  For all the documentation housed here, how many millions of unread or even untold stories must there be?

Anyway, I am back at work, tracking down first, second and third day accounts of the original murder that inspired Capote’s “In Cold Blood”  and pulling the obituary for a man who had no known name or history of origin.  Next week I am determined to look at these territory papers that are so desirable, and maybe delve into the popular Gentleman’s Magazines with their coveted battle maps.

All of which remind me of one theory concerning the Leather Man: that he was an ex-French soldier.  Perhaps that’s true, and all the years of marching over fields and sleeping rough became a way of life he ultimately could not break.  Whatever compelled him, day after day, I’m fairly certain a tragic musical score is appropriate.

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