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Quotes defining history…
July 13, 2009 by Morris Brill · 2 Comments
When I was fourteen years old (ah, so many years ago) I acquired an interest in quotations. By the time I was twenty-one I had read the entire collection of Bartlett’s Famous Quotations and recorded each of the quotes that had significance for me. I have since added to my list of favorites.
Coincidentally, when I was twenty-one, I also bought my first collectable newspaper; The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Many years ago I concluded that often a quote, paired with a specific headline, added profound meaning to the headline. The right quotation enhanced the moral or social significance of the headline. Often, the right quote was able to capture the ‘essence’ of the headline.
Quotes, like newspapers, unite us with the past. They provide us with the thoughts of those who came before us. Additionally, within a newspaper, you may find text that contains a statement that later becomes a famous quote.
For instance: the Boston Gazette of December 26, 1805 contains a report on the Battle of Trafalgar. The article quotes British Admiral Horatio Nelson as saying, “England expects that every man will do his duty.” And we all know of President Franklin Roosevelt’s quote in his inaugural acceptance speech in 1933, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself,” which can be found on the front page of many newspapers of the time.
Of course, each individual would select different quotes to pair with a headline. I believe that the quotes a person prefers are a reflection of that person’s personal social background, religious background, education, and political persuasion.
With that said, and with your indulgence, I would like to share with you a very small sample of my pairings.
“It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs.” – Eric Hoffer
Headline: Treaty of Peace – Pennsylvania Packet – 11/08/1783
Quote: “What a free society offers to the individual is much more than what he would be able to do if only he were free.” – F.S. Hayek
Headline: Death of Benjamin Franklin – The Gentleman’s Magazine – 06/01/1790
Quote: “It is sweet to serve one’s country by deeds, and it is not absurd to serve her by words” – Sallust
Headline: Death of President Washington – The True American – 01/01/1800
Quote: “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government” – Edward Abbey
Headline: Queen Victoria Coronation – Main Farmer/Journal of Useful Arts – 08/07/1838
Quote: “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown” – William Shakespeare
Headline: This “Flying Machine” Flies – Philadelphia Press – 12/19/1903
Quote: “I think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right” – Albert Einstein
Headline: Life Terms in Prison for Leopold and Lobe – Los Angeles Evening Herald – 02/04/1924
Quote: “Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Headline: Death Takes Stalin’s Reign – Syracuse Herald-Journal – 06/06/1954
Quote: “O, it is excellent to have a giant’s strength! But it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.” – William Shakespeare
Headline: Eichmann Convicted – Los Angeles Mirror – 12/11/1961
Quote: “The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” – Joseph Conrad
Headline: A Lonely Life Ends on Elvis Presley Boulevard – Memphis Press Scimtar – 08/17/1977
Quote: “It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs.” – Eric Hoffer
Thank you for attention and interest.
Morris Brill
Darwin’s “other” sons…
July 11, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The Ogden Junction newspaper from Utah, dated September 6, 1873, includes this small comic tidbit making light of Darwin’s theory of evolution.
My Collecting Story… Brendan Dwyer…
July 9, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Here is my antique newspaper collecting story. Not how I got started, but in the middle:
—–I moved to Nantucket [see 19th century image] in 1997 and fell in love with it’s rich history—-whaling, Quakers, isolation, American Revolution neutralism, etc.—Well–in 1795 a bank robbery occurred here where around $20,000 was taken in various international currency ( keep in mind the date and the world travels of the whaling industry). This robbery shocked and shucked the town whereby feuds developed and lasted for generations. All very interesting. Well, I found out the court dates of the accused robbers and the newspapers which covered the proceedings. I had been buying antique newspapers from [Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers] for a number of years, so I searched [the] site and found several of the newspapers which covered the court proceedings.
Keep in mind this was from 1795!!!!! Just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thanks for sharing your story Brendan. If you would like to share your story of how you became interested in collecting rare and/or historic newspapers, e-mail it to guy@rarenewspapers.com and place “My Story” in the subject field. Although not necessary, feel free to include an image. Please do not include your e-mail address or a personal website as part of the text of your story. We will post collector stories every few weeks and will send you a notice when your story appears. Thank you for your contribution to the community.
An early attempt at preserving newspapers…
July 6, 2009 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
You may have noted many of our descriptions of the New York Times from the 1927-1953 period are described as the “rag edition”.
Fellow collector Paul Sarna passed along the following information taken from “News-Week” magazine of Oct. 28, 1933. It’s an interesting report from 76 years ago of the creation of the “rag edition” as a means of preserving newspapers for posterity, which remain a concern for present-day institutions as well.
A brief piece from this 1933 magazine tells of its beginning:
“To preserve valuable newspapers, libraries from time to time have resorted to sprays, rejuvenators, and glassine covers. But none has been to successful. With an eye on this problem the New York times, in 1927, began printing an edition on enduring rag paper. the idea had two disadvantages: the subscription price of the rag edition was $170 annually, and it filled about 870 ft. of new shelf space each year.”
The rag edition was produced on a very high quality newsprint, with a high percentage of cotton & linen content allowing the issues to remain very white & sturdy many years into the future. Given the subscription cost it is not surprising that libraries rather than individuals were the primarily subscribers. We have never seen a never-bound rag edition of the Times although they might exist.
The Times discontinued the rag edition in 1953. A few other newspapers also produced a rag edition during the early part of the 20th century as we’ve encountered a run of Detroit News in rag edition. Is anyone aware of other titles?
Definition of “half drunk” and “whole drunk”…
July 4, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The Massachusetts Spy newspaper of Worcester, dated July 21, 1830, includes in interesting tidbit on the intoxication levels of four young surgeons in London.
Encouraging newspaper collecting in 1862…
July 2, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
An article in the “Charleston Mercury” of June 13, 1862 has a curious item concerning the collecting of early newspapers, and even includes a statement about the value in keeping current (meaning 1862) issues for future posterity:
“NEWSPAPERS—Many people like newspapers but few preserve them; yet the most interesting reading imaginable is a file of old newspapers. It brings up the past age with all its bustle and every day affairs, and marks its genius and its spirit more than the most labored description of the historian. Who can take up a paper half a century old without the thought that almost every name there printed is now upon a tombstone at the head of an epitaph? The newspaper of the present day will be especially interesting years hence, as containing the current record of events fraught with tremendous import to the cause of freedom in all the civilized world. We therefore would urge upon all the propriety of preserving their papers. they will be a source of pleasure and interest to them hereafter.”
Hobby trivia: most used newspaper titles…
June 29, 2009 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
By far the most common of early titles were “Gazette” and then “Advertiser“. Between 1704 and 1820 “Gazette” was used either by itself or as part of a newspaper title 488 times. This was closely followed by “Advertiser” with 440 times, showing the deference which publishers paid to their advertisers who made up the greater part of a newspaper’s profit.
These two titles were followed by “Herald” with 115 times, “Journal” 114, “Intelligencer” 104, “Register” 86, “Republican” 77, “Chronicle” 75, “Patriot” 57, “Centinel” or “Sentinel” 56, and “Courier” 45.
Titles frequently used, but in lesser number, were “Eagle“, “Mercury“, “Messenger“, “Monitor“, “Museum“, “Observer“, “Post“, “Recorder“, “Repository“, “Star” and “Times“.
It is curious that “Times” was rarely used before 1820, and there is no mention whatever of “Tribune” or “Transcript“, all somewhat common within newspaper titles today.
(The above is excerpted from the book “Journals and Journeymen” by Clarence Brigham)
A 19th century alternative to divorce…
June 27, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The “New York Transcript” newspaper of March 19, 1836 included an article reporting divorce cases in New Jersey. More than just reporting the news, the editor chose to take considerable license in expressing his own opinion, providing a bit of comedy for us more than 170 years later.
My Collecting Story… Glenn Guttman…
June 25, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The High Point of My Collecting Experience:
I started collecting “antique” newspapers after responding to an ad in the back of a Coin World magazine where Tim Hughes was offering his latest catalog of old newspapers. I was amazed at the variety of selections available, the reasonableness of the prices for items that were well over 100 years of age and the beauty of many of the features within the pages of the newspapers.
As a native of Chicago, one of the first items I purchased back in the early 90’s was a Harper’s Weekly dating back to 1871, just a couple of weeks after the Great Chicago Fire. I had purchased the item in very good condition from Tim for around $30-45 as I recall. The issue was chock full of many interesting items surrounding details of the Great Fire, how it started, what area it consumed, engravings of the landscape after the fire, etc. There were a couple of Nast cartoons as I recall in the magazine (newspaper) as well. Overall, a very interesting piece.
One day, I had heard the “Antiques Roadshow” was filming in Chicago, at Navy Pier and my wife and I decided to go with two items. She brought this intricate and delicately framed picture which was created out of shiny silk stitching that was unlike anything I (or anyone else) had ever seen. Truly a unique item.
We also brought my Harper’s Weekly to get an idea as to its value from an independent appraiser.
After about 2 hours of standing in line, finally someone came to analyze the items brought in by my wife and I. A woman saw what my wife had and was quite intrigued and asked if it could be reviewed by the art expert. We were taken out of line and my wife and I started “high-fiving” each other thinking we had hit the jackpot with our great find. Once looked at by the art appraiser, our hopes were deflated once we learned that our picture was a widely produced, and factory manufactured piece of no intrinsic value whatsoever. A complete bust in terms of value. Maybe worth $20 the expert stated.
Next, my newspaper and I were taken to a review appraiser who looked at the item carefully, smiling all the while, but saying nothing. He then spoke to what turned out to be one of the on-set producers and then came to us and asked if we were interested in being taped for the show with our item. They said it was a fascinating piece and that being filmed in Chicago, with an article of such local interest, it would be a wonderful addition to the show. We accepted the invitation and took a seat awaiting our turn to discuss the item on camera.
Three more hours passed and nothing was happening. Despite our numerous requests to get an idea as to when we would be called to begin filming, we received no information. We were hungry, tired, and had been sitting/standing/sitting and fidgeting for over 5 hours with no clue as to when our “15 minutes of fame” would occur. Finally, my wife said she had had it and that it was time to go. We informed the producer of our intent to leave and asked that our item be appraised if possible. The producer tried to persuade us to continue to wait, but enough time had elapsed to fill a double-header in baseball, with no indication that we would ever be called to the camera.
Anyway, about a half-hour later, the appraiser came and took a look at the item again, went through the many details he had noticed which made the magazine (newspaper) so interesting. And five minutes later he told us that the newspaper we purchased, in the Chicagoland area, if offered at auction, would probably fetch an offer of around $200 by his estimation.
It was a day I rather enjoyed but for the exasperating wait for many hours.
Thanks Tim for offering such great pieces of history to the public and sharing your passion with the rest of the world. It’s provided many years of fun.
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Thanks for sharing your story Glenn. If you would like to share your story of how you became interested in collecting rare and/or historic newspapers, e-mail it to guy@rarenewspapers.com and place “My Story” in the subject field. Although not necessary, feel free to include an image. Please do not include your e-mail address or a personal website as part of the text of your story. We will post collector stories every few weeks and will send you a notice when your story appears. Thank you for your contribution to the community.
Media Transformation…
June 22, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
From Benjamin Harris’ papers of the seventeenth century to the modern day media centers online and on TV, the newspaper has undergone a drastic change in style. The true transition began when America broke free of British news in 1783 and established the Pennsylvania evening Post as the first American daily. The many papers published in between these early years were deeply rooted in cultural ideals as well as secrecy from the British Empire depending on the time frame. The rise to the media outlets as we know them to be today has been a long time coming but is the best form of news to fit modern society.
Isaiah Thomas’ Massachusetts Spy was one such paper that was secretly published within 1770 and 1776 during the American Revolution. Many similar papers were published during this time, albeit a difficult time in which to publish any type of paper with a continuous circulation. Many papers did not survive past a few months and those that did were changed to Royalist perspectives due to the British occupancy. However, after the independence of 1776, papers began to experience the freedom they so craved from the tyranny of an overseas empire. These new papers united resistance to oppression, praised patriotism, and denounced tyranny, often making the papers themselves a bit more radical than the majority of the population. These papers often served to unify the general public which proved to be a general step in the right direction when instating a nation.
The later eighteenth century saw the rise of partisan papers and political parties began to take shape. Federalist and Republican presses dominated different realms of the nation and proved to reach out to constituents in an easy way. This time period cemented the newspaper ideals and molded the reporting to be what we now know it to be: local affairs and the rivalry of competitors which has since become a dominant force in American journalism. With the increased annexation of states, the newspaper audience grew as more and more citizens joined the ranks of the United States. These early papers of the West were often poorly written but served to provide an outlet for these new national citizens in which to approach their Congressman and get their voices heard. This is what the news was originally about, catering to a smaller local audience in order to get their voices heard on a national scale in the end. After this original introduction of papers around the United States, they have since grown into larger entities that are all-encompassing.
“Yellow Journalism” and muckraking are terms of the later nineteenth and twentieth century which have helped to cement the importance of journalism in American society. Yellow journalism references journalism that features scandal-mongering, sensationalism, or other unethical antics by news media organizations; muckraker refers to an individual who investigates and exposes issues of corruption that violate previous societal ethical values. The original Yellow Journalism battle began between Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. These type of battles remain in existence today between rival news networks although they are no longer central to newspaper in print. The move from print papers to online and televised news accounts has made an extraordinary difference in the modern world. Most modern day businessmen do not have the time to read an entire newspaper which has since tripled in length, but can hear the snippets of news on the radio or from a news station on TV; furthermore, they can always go online and click the top headlines of the day. This transformation in the media world is a telling sign of the shift in technology that we have yet to fully realize the significance of.
This post was contributed by Meredith Walker, who writes about the BachelorsDegreeOnline.com. She welcomes your feedback at MeredithWalker1983@gmail.com.