Stranger than fiction – Bobby Leach edition…

May 22, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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The Irony of Fate: The Bizarre Death of Daredevil Bobby Leach

History is often written in the grandest of strokes, but sometimes it is defined by the cruelest of ironies. Such was the case for Bobby Leach, the legendary English daredevil who spent his life dancing on the edge of catastrophe, only to be brought down by a stray piece of fruit. In April 1926, the man who had famously conquered the roaring cataracts of Niagara Falls met a quiet, tragic end in a hospital bed in Auckland, New Zealand.

Source: Library of Congress

Leach’s claim to immortality was cemented on July 25, 1911, when he became the first man to survive a plunge over Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls in a custom-built steel barrel. The 170-foot drop was a violent ordeal that left him with a shattered jaw and two broken kneecaps, yet he emerged alive—a feat that many at the time considered a miracle. He spent the following years touring the globe, a living testament to human grit and the pursuit of the “impossible,” sharing his tales of survival with captivated audiences.

However, the luck that sustained him through death-defying stunts ran out during a lecture tour in New Zealand. While walking down Princes Street in Auckland, Leach slipped on an orange peel. The fall, seemingly minor compared to the crushing forces of the Niagara River, resulted in a severely broken leg. In the 1920s, medical limitations turned a simple fracture into a death sentence; the wound became infected, and gangrene soon followed.

Despite an emergency amputation intended to save his life, Leach succumbed to complications on April 26, 1926. He was buried in Auckland’s Hillsborough Cemetery, far from the waterfalls that made him famous. Today, his story serves as a poignant reminder for history enthusiasts: a man can survive the world’s most dangerous forces of nature, only to be defeated by the most mundane of accidents. It is a legacy defined not just by the height of his fall, but by the quiet irony of his final stumble.

What brought this to our attention was the following front page article from THE DAY, New London, CT, dated April 29, 1926.

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Pricing newspapers back in the 1970’s…

May 18, 2026 by · 22 Comments 
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pricing_issues_iiIn conversations with people about how I started this business, a common question is, “How did you know how to prices newspapers back then?” Well, the short answer is, I didn’t.

This venture started as a hobby with no thought of it turning into a business. But when I started getting too many of a similar title or date, selling off the “unwanteds” became a more common occurrence. My simple thought was, if I had $3 for it, try to sell it for $5. If I did, the price stuck for future issues; if it didn’t, the price dropped to $4.

But this became trickier years later when I was buying for resale but didn’t have enough experience to know what to pay, nor what to price them at. Nor did anyone for that matter, as there were no price guides, nor sufficient auction records to offer a clue.

I was flying by the seat of my pants. If I thought an event was historic, say a major Civil War battle, I would pay the $5 price and increase it by 50% or so. If it sold, then the next time I inched it up a bit more. If it didn’t, I reduced the price a bit.  Never knowing how high customers might go for an event, I might have “inched up” the price of an event 15 times over the coarse of 4 or 5 years until there was some resistance. I was careful to keep records of sales through the years–even in the pre-computer days–which was a tremendous assistance in assigning values to the myriad of historical events covering 300 years of history.

pricing_issues_iDid I sell some great material too cheaply in the early years? I sure did. Looking at some of my earlier catalogs I gladly pay five times the selling price of many items I sold. But it was part of the process. I remember once having a volume of a Las Vegas, New Mexico newspaper from 1881. There must have been 30 or 40 issues with a small “Reward” ad for the capture of Billy the Kid. I think I sold those issues for less than $20 each. After all, if I had 40 of them how rare could they be? Certainly I’ve learned through the years, and became smarter as well.

But we still encounter items which challenged us today. As we continue to find truly rare, almost unique issues it becomes difficult to assign values with no history or prior sales. But these are the fun challenges. As much as you may enjoy finding interesting items in our catalogs, I enjoy finding the unusual to offer.

“I have always gotten more joy from buying newspapers than selling them.”, Tim Hughes (2009).

PS from Guy: Between the internet and the surge of AI, it has never been easier to find “hidden” content and comparable pricing. For collectors who live for the thrill of discovery and have an old newspaper in hand, try using this prompt: “What noteworthy historical coverage is featured in [Newspaper Title] published on [Date]?” You might be amazed by what you find. If you turn up something unique, please share your discovery with the Rare & Early Newspapers community!

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May 2026 Newsletter Rare & Early Newspapers…

May 15, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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Welcome to the latest newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. Along with our usual monthly features (newly released catalog items, discounted newspapers, featured posts, and more), much like last May, we’re taking this opportunity to extend a special welcome to the many new collectors who have joined our community over the past year. Whether you were drawn to a specific historical event, an attention-grabbing headline, or a personal passion, we are glad you’re here and hope your appreciation for the collectible continues to grow. To this end, we’d like to bring your attention to our blog: History’s Newsstand. We’ve developed this resource to help both new and veteran collectors deepen their understanding of the hobby. While the blog covers a wide-variety of posts dedicated to “rare & early newspapers”, to-date we’ve published five in-depth posts that serve as an essential “Rare Newspapers Primer.” It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to learn more about the nuances of collecting. Whereas the most recent posts are flagged below, you can jump right in with these introductory posts at: [COLLECTING NEWSPAPERS – A Primer]. Additionally, whether you are a seasoned or novice collector of newspapers, if you’d like to suggest a topic to be included in such a “Primer”, please contact me at guy@rarenewspapers.com. Thanks.

And now for the ongoing features…

  • New to Catalog 366: great issues added in the past few days. A few of the highlights include the hanging of Nathan Hale, three issues, each containing a state-of-the-union address by President George Washington, a diagram of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Battle of New York, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty has been completed, the text of “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” (foundational document related to the French Revolution), and more. (Quick Scan or Full View)

Let’s not forget the most recent posts on the History’s Newsstand blog…

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

*** Searching on our website now defaults to a new sort option: Most Relevant. If you prefer to sort by issue date, most recently listed, price, etc., use the Sort Results tool. ***
As always, thanks for collecting with us!
Sincerely,
Guy & Laura Heilenman & the entire Rare Newspapers Team
(including our “founder”, Tim Hughes)
570-326-1045

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Who’s Who in Newspapers? Stephen Crane edition (1891)…

May 11, 2026 by · 1 Comment 
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The 14th installment of: Who’s Who in Newspapers

This series typically highlights lesser-known figures who have left intriguing marks in the world of historic newspapers—individuals often overlooked by the general public. However, today’s spotlight falls on a truly famous name: Stephen Crane (1871–1900), the acclaimed American author best known for his iconic Civil War novel *The Red Badge of Courage* (1895), a groundbreaking work of literary realism and naturalism that vividly captures the psychological turmoil of battle.

So why feature such a well-known literary giant in this series? Crane exemplifies a distinguished tradition of celebrated writers who launched their careers (or sharpened their skills) as newspaper journalists—often starting remarkably young. This roster includes luminaries such as:

– Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), who began as a printer’s apprentice and reporter in his teens and early 20s.
– Charles Dickens, whose early work included vivid sketches and reporting for London newspapers.
– Ernest Hemingway, who honed his concise, punchy style as a cub reporter.
– George Orwell, who drew on journalistic experience for his essays and novels.
– Karl Marx, whose writings appeared in newspapers like the New-York Daily Tribune.

Many of these authors were in their teens or early 20s when they first contributed to newspapers, using the medium to observe society up close, develop their voices, and earn a living while building toward greater literary achievements.

The featured newspaper clip below and to the right are from one of Crane’s earliest published pieces: a sketch titled “Tent Life at Ocean Grove”, written and illustrated by Crane at the age of just 19, which we recently unearthed in the New York Herald dated July 19, 1891.

Ocean Grove, New Jersey—often called “God’s Square Mile”—was (and remains) a unique seaside community founded in 1869 by Methodist ministers as a camp meeting site. Part of the broader 19th-century Methodist camp meeting movement, it combined intense religious revivalism with summer respite: families lived in tents or simple cottages during annual gatherings, emphasizing piety, prayer meetings, lectures, and moral recreation—while alcohol and other “worldly” amusements were strictly prohibited. At its cultural peak in the late 19th century, Ocean Grove represented Victorian-era piety at its most earnest, contrasting sharply with the lively, secular beach resorts nearby (like Asbury Park).

Crane’s article offers a sharp, observational glimpse into this world. He describes the “somber-hued” atmosphere of the tent colony, where devout “tenters” engaged in serious religious devotion amid the summer heat. With characteristic irony and wit, he contrasts this restrained, spiritual environment with the more carefree, bustling vacation spots just beyond its borders—highlighting class differences, social norms, and the peculiar blend of holiness and holiday.

For collectors and scholars of historic newspapers, the 1891 *Herald* piece stands out as an early “warning shot” of Crane’s emerging literary genius. It foreshadows the keen social observation, subtle irony, and class consciousness that would later define masterpieces like *The Red Badge of Courage*, *Maggie: A Girl of the Streets* (1893), and his war reporting. While a later 1892 article for the *New York Tribune* (on a Labor Day parade) sparked controversy and effectively ended his newspaper career in that city due to its critical tone, this Ocean Grove sketch remains a more polished, evocative example of his talent for elevating a routine travelogue or feature story into incisive social commentary.

Talk about precocious talent—Crane was already displaying the distinctive voice that would make him one of America’s most innovative writers before he even turned 20!

Who else would you add to the list?

Personal Note: I have a personal connection to this world Crane described. During our early teens in the 1960s and 1970s, my sister and I attended Chester Heights Camp Meeting in Delaware County, PA—a historic Methodist camp meeting grounds established in 1872, not long after Ocean Grove’s founding. Though more than 90 years had passed since Crane’s visit to Ocean Grove, much of the atmosphere felt strikingly similar to what he captured: the rows of simple cottages (most without running water), the focused religious services, the sense of stepping away from everyday bustle into a place of earnest devotion and quiet summer fellowship. While the world around it had changed dramatically over the decades—and Chester Heights itself has evolved in many ways—the core spirit of sincere personal faith buoyed by sold Biblical teaching and powerful worship in a communal setting endured remarkably intact during those years. Reading Crane’s sharp, ironic sketch today brings those childhood summers vividly back to life.

PS Confession: We had to take a bus to our camp meeting’s “beach” – a small public pool about 10 miles from our location.

 

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Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (reflecting back on April, 1776)…

May 8, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today we continue our series, “Lead-Up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day” – the anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and self-government.
The following are the installments from last month (March, 2026, which reflected on the events as they were reported approximately 250 years ago – in and around April, 1776:

We hope you are enjoying this year-long trek to the 250th anniversary of The United States through the eyes of those who were fully engaged, first hand. As mentioned previously, all accounts are rooted in what they read in the newspapers of the day.

“History is never more fascinating than when read from the day it was first reported.” (Timothy Hughes, 1975)

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This famous Confederate issue, with a contemporary explanation…

May 4, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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Over the last 50 years we have sold many genuine issues of the famous “Vicksburg Daily Citizen” issue of July 2 (4), 1863. Its desirability is in the curious background of its creation. If you have received our catalogs through the years, you have likely read of at least one of our offerings, with the details as to how the July 2 issue was left on the press when the Confederates left town when the Yankee forces moved in. As the story goes, Yankee printers found the July 2 issue still on the press, changed the last paragraph to reflect the historic changes that had happened over the previous two days, and printed the paper.

We were not aware until recently that a contemporary issue of the “New York Times” told the story quite well. Page 2 of the August 5, 1863 issue has over a column headed: “The Fall of Vicksburgh” “Last Words of the Vicksburgh Citizen” “A Curious Relic of the Siege”.

The report begins: “When Grant took possession of Vicksburgh, a detachment of the Fifteenth Illinois cavalry visited the office of the ‘Daily Citizen”. They found the number intended for July 2 in type, and the paper all ready for printing, but circumstances had prevented its issue…the paper was very poor wall-paper. The matter was wholly editorial, with the exception of a column and a half of: “Yankee News from all Points” copied from the Memphis Bulletin, a paper which the Citizen says is ‘edited by a pink-nosed, slab-sided, toad-eating Yankee, who is a lineal descendant of Judas Iscariot…” with much more.

Further on, it explains how the last paragraph of the Vicksburg issue came to be: “The Illinois men who visited the office of the ‘Citizen’ thought that this admirable number ought not to be withheld from the subscribers. They set to work at once to print it off, but as it was now the Fourth of July and some changes had taken place since the original editor made up his sheets for the 2d, they brought up the news to date in the following postscript…” , which is the famous paragraph at the bottom of the page that begins: “Two days bring about great changes…”.

The Times article notes in conclusion: “…The copy from which we print the foregoing extracts was furnished to us by Col. Jas. Grant Wilson, of the Fifteenth Illinois cavalry, according to whose request, we have presented to the New York Historical Society.”

Although there are many issues in the realm of rare newspapers that are curious, unusual, or perhaps exceedingly historic in a very unusual way, rarely are collectors treated to a contemporary account of how they came to be. This is one.

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Announcing: Catalog 366 – Released (early) for May, 2026 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

May 1, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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The May catalog (#366) of collectible newspapers is now available. The links below will help connect you with both the entire catalog and specific subsets within the catalog. We hope you enjoy.

CATALOG #366 (with access to the traditional set of focused links)

————–

DISCOUNTED ISSUES

(what remains of last month’s discounted issues – at 50% off)

HISTORY’S NEWSSTAND

(recent posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog)

————–

LEAD-UP TO A NATION

(Independence was Destiny – The Case for Independence)
Thanks for collecting with us!

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

RareNewspapers.com

570-326-1045

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One Thing Leads to Another… The Set Up for Patrick Henry’s Give Me Liberty Speech…

April 24, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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We usually remember big, dramatic moments however, we rarely pause to reflect on the smaller events that set the table for that seismic shift on the horizon. On March 17, 1775, THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE covered an abundance of Colonial News starting on page one’s article on treason… then moving to a page 2 article covering petitions from the American Congress to the King.  Amongst the 8 pages of small print, buried on pg. 3, is a report on a meeting of freeholders from Hanover County stating: “…they proceeded to the choice of delegates to represent them in colony conventions at the town of Richmond…the 20th of next month, when Patrick Henry, jun. and John Syme, Esqrs., were unanimously chosen…”. Just a passing mention really and barely a clue to even the most loyal reader. However, this election laid the groundwork for quickly approaching fireworks that would soon come from electing Patrick Henry. The meeting these newly elected men would attend was the historic Second Virginia Convention where Patrick Henry would give his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech. One tiny spark in the Spring of 1775 poured gasoline on the lead up to the American Revolution.

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Nothing New Under the Sun… Thomas Nast Calls Out Government Fraud…

April 20, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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Thomas Nast’s 1875 wood engraving “This Tub Has No Bottom to Stand On,” published in Harper’s Weekly, stands as a searing indictment of Gilded Age graft. In the cartoon, blindfolded Justice hoists a washtub labeled “Public Corruption” by its handles. The metal rings binding it—each stamped with the names of notorious syndicates such as the Tammany Ring, Whiskey Ring, Canal Ring, Indian Ring, and City Ring—snap apart under the strain. The tub’s false bottom, emblazoned “Tammany Hall 1872,” plummets to the floor, spilling a cascade of documented crimes: bribery, internal-revenue frauds, Custom House swindles, Crédit Mobilier scandals, Treasury embezzlement, and Post Office graft. Nast, fresh from dismantling Boss Tweed’s machine, used the image to declare that these interlocking networks of political and corporate plunder possessed no legitimate foundation; once challenged by law or public scrutiny, the entire edifice collapsed, emptying its ill-gotten contents for all to see.

Nearly 150 years later, the United States still contends with systemic corruption that echoes those same structural weaknesses. Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index gave the country a score of 64 out of 100—its lowest mark on record—ranking it 29th globally and marking a continued slide amid partisan polarization and regulatory capture.

The parallel between Nast’s era and our own is therefore not merely stylistic but substantive. Both periods feature explosive economic growth, technological upheaval, and extreme inequality that lubricate the machinery of graft; historians routinely describe the present as a “second Gilded Age” precisely because corporate-political fusion and fee-based governance have reemerged in updated forms.  Yet important differences exist: today’s watchdogs, independent prosecutors, and digital transparency tools act as faster-acting surrogates for Nast’s allegorical Justice, rapidly exposing and clawing back billions that once vanished into obscurity. The enduring lesson of the cartoon therefore persists undiminished: corruption’s tub still has no bottom to stand on. When accountability is applied—whether by cartoonist’s pen or federal indictment—the contents inevitably spill, reminding every generation that vigilance and impartial justice remain the only forces capable of dismantling rings that otherwise appear impregnable.

 

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April Newsletter (2026) – Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

April 17, 2026 by · Leave a Comment 
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Welcome to the April Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers.

In addition to the ongoing monthly features (newly added catalog items, this month’s discounted newspapers, and links to recent posts on the History’s Newsstand blog), we have two additional items for you to explore. Please enjoy.

The two items to explore:

Father Thomas & the Damascus Affair

1774 – 1776 (through the lense of the newspapers of the day)

The monthly items:

Catalog 365 – Newly Added

(approximately 50 items including America’s 1st traitor, the Damascus Affair, Denmark Vesey, Moody & Sankey, Common Sense – and the reason for the Declaration of Independence, and more)

Catalog 365 – The Complete List (great issues still available)

April’s Discounted Issues (100+ at 50% off)

Recent Posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog

What’s in a Masthead – An 1800s Boston Investigator…

Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (reflecting back on March, 1776)…

Who’s Who in Newspapers? Jack Johnson edition (1910)…

Mystery Solved … The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln Clarified…

Vanguard to Revolution…

Thanks for collecting with us.

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team
RareNewspapers.com
570-326-1045

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