Christmas Day… Not what one might expect…

December 24, 2017 by · 1 Comment 

Over the years we have written various Christmas-themed posts for the 25th (or 24th) of December. Many of these (and a few extras) may be viewed at Christmas-Themed Posts. However, almost by accident, as I was preparing for this year I happened to notice that the “reason for the season” and what has appeared on the pages of many newspapers published on Christmas don’t necessarily correlate. Before accessing the following link (which will take you to a chronological listing of such issues we have listed on our website – most of which are no longer available), think back through the past 300-400 years and try to come up with a handful events which were reported on Christmas morning. Once done, go to the link to see if you were successful. Enjoy – oh, and Merry Christmas.

Christmas Morning Newspapers

Christmas Eve – Looking back…

December 23, 2016 by · Leave a Comment 

blog-12-23-2016-christmas-eveWhat was it like to live in small-town America, Christmas Eve, 1966? While the Vietnam War raged on and confidence in those entrusted with political leadership was plummeting, the tense mood of the day took a breather while friends and foes alike united in a their well-wishes for a happy, blessed Christmas for all. This atmosphere of good tidings is well-communicated through the pages of the December 24, 1966 issue of The Pratt Tribune, from Pratt, Kansas. The following link will take you to a glimpse of the past: Christmas Eve, 1966.

Christmas Eve… 1915

December 24, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

War, peace, pain, hope, life, death – what “news items of the day” were our brothers and sisters from 100 years ago reading on Christmas Eve? Certainly the typical newspaper was pregnant with holiday cheer, but people were still born… died… and wars and rumors of wars didn’t always take a vacation. Scroll through select images of The Bethlehem Globe (PA) dated December 24, 1915 to catch of glimpse of 100 years ago – Christmas Eve.Blog-12-24-2015-Christmas-Eve

Merry Christmas… a look back into the past…

December 25, 2014 by · Leave a Comment 

One-hundred years ago today the Stock Market was in turmoil (a 24% drop just a few days prior), the world was at war (WWI was in full force), Jews were expelled from Tel Aviv by the Turks, and gold miners in South Africa went on strike over abhorrent labor conditions – i.e., the world was in chaos. Death, prejudice, oppression, and fiscal uncertainty was the order of the day. So, with the arrival of Christmas, what news would go to print? Was there any “Good News” to report? Curiosity led me to search our archives for an original newspaper from December 25, 1914. Below please enjoy two front-page articles from a New York Times, Christmas Day, 1914.Blog-12-25-2014-1Blog-12-25-2014-2Blog-12-25-2014-3Blog-12-25-2014-4Blog-12-25-2014-5Blog-12-25-2014-6

A Christmas wish… 2013…

December 23, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

While Christmas is certainly a time when many who would not normally do so reflect on the spiritual, historic newspapers reveal a time when the lines between the spiritual and the physical were not nearly so distinct. Religion, while largely stripped from the currently public square, was part and parcel of daily conversation in the not to distant past. An example would be the following report of the importance of religion in the lives of Civil War soldiers found in the Hammond Gazette (Point Lookout, MD) of September 22, 1863. My Christmas wish is that we would regain our previous understanding of the role of true religion in everyday life, minus the driving harsh conditions of the past. Please enjoy.

Merry Christmas… looking back…

December 24, 2012 by · Leave a Comment 

A few year’s ago we posted an article which is worthy of a revisit. It regards the interaction of enemy troops on Christmas Eve from during WWI. Some stories are worth repeating (see link below). We’ve also created a Christmas-themed Pinterest pinboard we believe will be worth your time to view.  Please have a wonderful Christmas.  As for our Jewish friends, thanks for providing us with the reason for our season. Happy Chanukah to you as well.

Pinterest:  Viewing Christmas thru Historic Newspapers…

Christmas Eve – WWI: A Christmas thought… loving our enemies…

A Christmas thought… loving our enemies…

December 25, 2011 by · 1 Comment 

As we reflect on all we’ve been given, the following historic account seems quite timely.  The coverage, from WWI, appeared in the New York Times, December 31, 1914.  I believe no commentary is needed:

Merry Christmas!

One never knows… Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

The Christmas Season is a wonderful time of reflection for many… of love…  of giving… of sacrifice.  A few weeks ago a man came to us with a story involving rare newspapers (indirectly) which reminded us of the importance of caring for others.  The icing on the cake is the involvement of a soldier who had given much… and received so little, until…

Richard Storrs was in the military in 1950 and had the unfortunate fate of being on a train as it traveled through Ohio when it was rammed by another. “221 Guardsman Dead” was the headline of the Detroit News” of  Sept. 11, 1950. Richard Storrs was among the survivors, but he injured his leg causing a disability.

He never received pension benefits from the incident, perhaps not believing it was possible as the years passed. But a prompt from others to pursue let to the need to prove the incident happened. Searching online in 2010  the Storrs’ found our website, which by good fortune happened to have the mentioned newspaper with details of the report on the front page. With this evidence his proof was secured and he was not only able to get pension benefits, but payments missed over the previous 60 years.

One never knows how our newspapers are actually used. We assume only collectors treasure them for historical information related to their interests, but obviously they can provide to be the missing link to family events, solve historical conundrums, and evidence needed to right a wrong from many years past.

The heros of this story are the “others” who will likely forever remain nameless, who saw a friend in need and prompted him to take action.  Who can we be an “other” to during this wonderful season?  We may never know the results of our kindnesses, but there is Someone who certainly will… and regardless, a child of God will be blessed.

Merry Christmas (Luke 10:25-37)!

The Staff of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

To:  The Collectors and Friends of Rare & Early Newspapers…

Have a blessed Christmas!

From:  The Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers Staff

Merry Christmas…

December 24, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Christmas_3

One of the more frequent questions we (the staff) are asked by members of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers is whether or not we become distracted from our “work” by the call/allure of the content within the issues we offer – i.e., do we often find ourselves reading the issues?Christmas_1 Christmas_2The simple answer is an emphatic “Yes”.  Rarely a day goes by in which we do not share new finds with one another.  It’s one of the side benefits of being surrounded by history.  Another simple pleasure is the ability to view some of the most incredible prints ever produced – those from the many illustrated newspapers from the 19th century (Harper’s Weekly, Leslie’s Illustrated, Gleason’s Pictorial, etc.).

Specifically, within the pages of these wonderful issues one can find some of the most amazing Christmas-themed prints.   If you have a few minutes over the next few days, I invite you to go to the link below and take a few minutes to enjoy what we experience every day.

Link to issues containing Christmas-themed prints:  Harper’s Weekly Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Staff of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers

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