Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, class '' not found in /home/c3yxf4pauoh2/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php on line 324
History's Newsstand Blog

You can’t always believe what you read… even when penned with good intentions…

May 6, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

(sarcasm alert)

Did you know you can obtain (collect) British newspapers older than the oldest known British newspapers?

While sounding a tad ridiculous, a newspaper article from a reliable 19th century publication confirms this claim.

Proof:

We recently discovered an article in an issue of the highly respected Niles’ National Register from 1839 which contained the following article:

It appears that as of 1839, the oldest known “English” newspapers were from 1695. The problem? We have several to offer dated earlier. One might argue ours were discovered after this article was penned in 1839, but many of what we have are from The Times (London) whose claim to fame is being the oldest continuously published newspaper in England – perhaps the world(?), and was one of the more prominent newspapers from the 1600’s-1700’s. While the journalist may have been well-intentioned, the facts emphatically betray his/her research.

However, if you are one to believe everything you read, feel free to take a gander at…

British Newspapers Older than the Oldest British Newspapers

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1600's, The 1700's, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: ,

The World Takes Note. . . Washington’s 1st State of the Union Address

May 3, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

The State of the Union Address. . . a phrase which probably brings varying emotions depending on who you are. I love to watch these speeches as they give me more insight into the man than into the state of the Union.  Most of us already have a pretty good read on how our country is doing. . . the economy, the culture, the defense, threat assessments. . . but, watching the leader of the Free World explain his take helps me grasp where we are headed. I wonder if the citizens of the USA in 1795 felt the same way as they read the Columbian Sentinel from December 19. President Washington had given his 1st State of the Union Address and it was printed, as all presidential speeches, in the newspaper. We have much to thank George Washington for, as he defined so many aspects of our country, government and the presidency.  I think we can add instituting the Annual State of the Union Address to his very long list of accomplishments.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The 1700's, The Collectible Community
Tagged: , ,

Announcing: Catalog #342 for May, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

April 30, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

 

The May catalog (#342) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.

CATALOG #342 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: a ‘Royal American Gazette’ (the first we have offered), a ‘Tombstone Epitaph’ (the famous title from the Old West), the 1685 coronation of the King and Queen of England, a rare British newsbook from 1650, a dramatic issue on the San Francisco earthquake, a 1775 map of Boston, and more.

 

 

Helpful Links to the Catalog:
————–
DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off) 
————–
Thanks for collecting with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

570-326-1045

[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days

upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Announcements, Catalog Release Announcements, Civil War, Collecting Newspapers, Colonial, Confederate, Death Reports, Great Headlines, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Old West Era, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, Revolutionary War, Sports, The 1500's, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1600's, The 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby, The War of 1812, Yankee
Tagged: , ,

They Put It In Print – Immigration in 1903…

April 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Immigration. . . without a doubt a hot button topic… and not just in our lifetime. THE MEMPHIS MORNING NEWS, October 24, 1903 has a front-page article announcing that (nearly) 1,000,000 had immigrated to the U.S.  in 1903. Tension? No question! Take a look at the requirements Congress had established for legal immigrants and more requirements being considered.  A fascinating read in light of our current headlines.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Collectible Community
Tagged:

Larger Than Life… The Death of Jessie James

April 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Without a doubt, certain terms elicit particular moods. A word or phrase can take us back to a bygone era or spring us into a futuristic vision. “Groovy” often equals kicking back & chilling in the summer sun… “Desolate” brings to mind a barren dystopian plain (perhaps with Mel Gibson racing across it). In the same way, the caption below a full-page image of Jessie James in the FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER from April 22, 1882,” Notorious Desperado, Killed at St. Joseph, April 3d.”, can only throw us back to the Wild-West and the many men and woman who have inspired some of the greatest movies of all times. If you like to put a face to a name, take a look at this wonderful illustrated issue on our website.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Old West Era, The 19th Century, The Collectible Community
Tagged: , ,

Snapshot 1903 – “Jack the Ripper” in America?

April 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

In the midst of what appears to be the steady decline of American culture, and the resulting tendency to develop a “woe is us” mindset which begins to long for the past, every now and then I come across a newspaper which serves as a reality check. Such was the case as I perused a Memphis Morning News dated December 21, 1903. The front-page alone had the following headlines: “No Safety for Americans” in Columbia, “Thieves Rob Jail”, “Killed All His Family”, “Russell Is Hurt” (student hits teacher in the head with a rock), “Mountain Bandit Escapes From Jail”, “Charles Nellens Arrested – Charged With Murder of Millionaire Wentz…”, “Saved Two Women From Fire”, “Preferred To Die – Charged With Postal Robberies, He Suicides”, and my favorite, “Jack The Ripper… Ghastly Find In A Hotel”. AND, I’ve yet to move past the front page. YIKES!

Truth be told, Western Culture (in general) and American Culture (specifically) are declining, but the call should be to right the ship for present and future generations, not to bury our heads in the sands of the past. Thanks to the slap in the face provided by this newspaper from 1903, I’ll get back to being thankful for all that is good in the present, while pushing for an even better tomorrow. Go back to life in 1903? No thank you – and WWI, the Spanish Flu, and the devastating Qing Famine are still far beyond the horizon. Note: The latter may not have been a “Western Culture” event, but when 20-30 million people die of starvation, it deserves a mention.

 

PS  Spoiler alert. The Jack the Ripper headline is an early 1900’s version of what today would be labelled “click bait”.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Food for Thought, Great Headlines
Tagged: , ,

You’ve Come A Long Way Baby. . . from the Pony Express to the internet…

April 12, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Every one of our collectors is unique, a fact never more apparent than when a new catalog is released.  Some place an order within moments of the release of the online version, while others wait till the hard copy hits their mailbox to quickly scour the pages – calling us with whatever instantly piqued their interest. Another group takes a laid-back approach and may not get to perusing until a week or more later, sometimes calling to order from a previous catalog. Whatever their style, all collectors enjoy receiving the catalog at regular intervals. Why am I bringing up catalog releases in a blog post? Today, as I was paging through a NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE dated April 2, 1860, I noticed an article on the pricing for the brand new Pony Express.  I chuckled to myself as I contemplated a time when our catalogs would have been delivered on horseback. Imagine the feelings of distress for the people who lived in California compared to those who lived right down our street. No matter how you like to approach your catalog browsing, it has to be better than waiting for the Pony Express… unless you call and your item has already sold; then all bets are off!

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The 19th Century, The Collectible Community
Tagged:

Great Story Telling is Essential to Life… Hans Christian Anderson’s Mastery of Creating the Fairytale…

April 8, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Some experiences transcend generations and ages, capturing the imaginations and hearts of both mother and daughter, grandfather and grandson. Often these moments come via a well-written narrative. The idea of being enraptured by a story to the point where reality fades away can be experienced by reading the tales “Scheherazade” spun or the fairy tales created by The Grimm Brothers. Such stories could have begun as follows: “On a cool spring evening, in a tiny hamlet, deep in countryside of Denmark, a small lad was born who would grow to bring magic and delight to people of all ages.” In fact, on April 2, 1805, this fictional beginning became a reality with the birth of Hans Christian Anderson.  Undeniably one of the great storytellers of all time, his works would be told, retold and reimagined for every generation since they were penned – capturing the curiosity of children and adults alike.

Here, in the 21st Century, I often hear complaints concerning the lack of (quality) storytelling which mesmerizes the viewer or reader and allows the darker, heavier parts of life to fall away – enrapturing and encouraging the reader/listener by what is good and beautiful and true… traits which spur us on to be our better selves. These are the stories we need today, and if truth be told, everyday. Let us all hope & pray that exceptional storytelling is not a dead art. Thankfully, till it resurfaces in abundance, we can always enjoy the gems of the past.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The 19th Century, The Collectible Community
Tagged: ,

“Collecting Newspapers – The Basics” (Part V) – Reprints…

April 5, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

While “fakes” in collectibles, depending upon the item being sought (stamps, coins, Hummels, etc.), can be common, thankfully such is not the case with Rare and Early Newspapers. Furthermore, the common “fakes” (called “reprints”) are well documented and were rarely done with nefarious motives. Part of the reason for the rarity of reprints is likely the price-point of most collectible newspapers (still quite low) in comparison to the cost of creating a fake which would be good enough to pass as authentic to someone who is familiar with the collectible. Printing methods, ink, paper, era-specific (“tell-tale”) environmental impact, and more have varied so significantly over time, the cost and effort it would take to create profitable forgeries cost/effort prohibitive. Still, there are exceptions – and being “in the know” can save one from being duped out of their hard-earned savings.

The issue-specific attributes which help to distinguish a reprint from an authentic issue would fill a book to rival Tolstoy’s War and Peace – making an attempt to do so within a single post absurd. However, over the past decade we have created over a dozen posts in an effort to cover as much as possible – specifically targeting the most common. Hopefully you will find them helpful:

POSTS REGARDING COMMON REPRINTS

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby
Tagged: , , , ,

All kidding aside, April Fools’ Day has an origin story…

April 1, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

You may love it or hate it, but by the end of every 1st of April you likely have been “pranked”. During my years of teaching 7th-9th graders, rather than dread the endless attempts to fool me, I made it my quest to laugh when I fell victim to their practical jokes… and to one-up-them before the bell signaling it was time for them to move on to their next “suspecting” victim tolled. I can’t say I always won the day, but when it came to working with 13-15 year-olds, laughter really was good medicine.

This point was often driven home by midday as those who had not embraced a more jovial attitude toward, or appreciation for, their student’s amazing creativity, whined and fussed and wondered aloud: “Who in the world ever thought this was a good idea?”

Note: Their actual comments were a little more graphic, but we endeavor to keep this space family friendly.

Sadly, time would show a direct correlation between those who stood their stoic ground and those who filed for early retirement. Good people – poor career choice.

Those days are long past, but as I was contemplating this “unofficial” holiday, I reflected back upon their angst and wondered if there was in fact a source responsible for their great displeasure. Thanks to the wonderful search engine hosted by The New York Times, I was able to find a few clues in an article they published on April 2, 1871 – which is shown in its entirety below. Please enjoy.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: ,

Next Page »