This Month in History – July…

July 8, 2024 by · 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

 

Announcing: Catalog #344 for July, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

June 28, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

 

The July catalog (#344) 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 #344 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: President George Washington’s letter to the Newport synagogue (a landmark issue), the Bill of Rights in a Philadelphia newspaper, the Articles of Confederation, a rare newsbook from 1647, the best San Francisco earthquake issue to be had, a graphic presentation of Lincoln’s assassination, 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.]

This Month in History – June…

June 3, 2024 by · 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.

NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN JUNE

 

Announcing: Catalog #343 for June, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

May 31, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

 

The June catalog (#343) 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 #343 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: Ben Franklin’s famous “Join Or Die” engraving in the masthead, the Gettysburg Address (on the front page), the House version of the Bill Of Rights, a rare & desired pillar cartoon celebrating ratification, a Chicago newspaper on the Chicago Fire, a British newsbook from 1646, 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.]

Another Golden Nugget found within an Old Newspaper… Edmund Halley

May 24, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

A collector (L.G., from Vermont) recently contacted us to mention he had found a “Golden Nugget” within one of our listings. Finding hidden gems while perusing a newspaper is not too uncommon (it’s one of the pleasures of the collectible), however, doing so while viewing merely select images on our website is another thing altogether. Making this “find” even more impressive is that it was barely visible at the bottom of a photo showing something else. SO, what was “the find”? An advertisement for the notable “Planisphaerium Coeleste (double hemisphere celestial chart)” which had been “reviewed and corrected” by the 23-year-old astronomer, Edmund Halley.  He would later become famous for discovering that a series of comet sightings which reached as far back as 240 BC were actually of the same comet – now called Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley). From a collector’s standpoint, it’s nice to see his name in print long before his famous “find”.

For the record, the mention was found in The London Gazette for April 10, 1679 – a listing which has now been updated to reflect the new content. The original photo observed by L.G. can still be found through the provided link.

Please know we are always pleased when collectors let us know of such discoveries – even if the find means we missed something which would have made the newspaper significantly more valuable.

Davy Crockett & Rand Paul – “I Love This Collectible!”

May 20, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

I recently overheard someone on the radio mention a speech Rand Paul gave on the Senate Floor on May 18, 2022 regarding “spending” in which he quoted portions of an earlier speech by beloved Senator Davy Crockett given in the same chamber back in 1867. What caught my attention was Senator Paul’s source: a Harper’s Magazine from 1867 – a title which we have in relative abundance within our archives. Rand Paul’s oration, now referred to as his “Makes No Sense” speech, is found here:

Of course, being collectors and resellers of Rare & Early Newspapers (and some 18th and 19th century magazines), the fun was about to begin. Might we have a copy of this speech? Might we have the very Harper’s Monthly issue Rand Paul referenced?

Problem 1: He said it was from Harper’s Magazine, 1867; however, Harper’s was a monthly magazine. Thanks to the internet, we soon discovered several websites (some highly respectable) which stated it was from the January issue. Off we went to our archives to check to see if we had the January, 1867 issue. Bingo! We had it.

Problem 2: After searching through the issue multiple times, it was obvious that all of the websites must have relied on a single, wrong source. Bummer. So, where could it be? Might the year be wrong? Perhaps a different month within 1867? A different title? After a bit more digging we found a reference which stated that an article related to Davy Crockett was present within the April issue of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine (April, 1867). Might we have this one? If so, might it contain Senator Crockett’s speech? Back to the archives we went, and before long we dug out the desired issue and were elated to find the referenced speech!!!

Whether you agree with Rand Paul’s or Davy Crockett’s position on the spending of taxpayer’s money, the trek was rewarding. AND, after all this effort, the speech is shown below. Enjoy.

The reason I collected it: Newe Gazette van Brugge…

May 13, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Sometimes it’s nice just to be handsome to be collectible. The New Gazette van Brugge from 1815 Belgium is not particularly early for a European title, nor am I aware of any historic content. But the masthead is deep, it includes a coat-of-arms engraving, and has beautifully ornate lettering in the title, not to mention two tax stamps in the masthead. Additionally, it was never bound nor trimmed and is small enough to frame economically–hence a logical addition to our private collection.

The Month of May thru time – as reported in newspapers of the day…

May 10, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

When considering the month of May 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:

  • Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland
  • U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden
  • Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) was first observed in the U.S. (1865)
  • Communism founder Karl Marx (1818-1883) was born in Treves, Germany
  • The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames
  • The British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine
  • Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa
  • The first permanent English settlement in America was established at Jamestown, Virginia
  • Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France
  • Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in southwestern Washington State

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 MAY

 

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

April 30, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

 

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.]

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

April 5, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

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

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