Archetype Publisher . . . Benjamin Harris

March 18, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

People of today have a love hate relationship with newspapers. Each of us has our favorite news source and others we shy away from. Without giving it a thought, we take for granted one vital blessing we enjoy as a US Citizen in the 21st Century. . . the ability to choose. Had we been alive in during the era of Benjamin Harris, we would not have had such a choice.  As the 1st publisher & journalist in the Colonies, Harris provided the only option for journalistic expression. Encylopedia Britannica reports, “His newspaper, Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick (Sept. 25, 1690), the first newspaper printed in the colonies, was suppressed by Boston authorities after one issue.Before this title, while still in England, he published, THE PROTESTANT (DOMESTICK) INTELLIGENCE, OR NEWS BOTH FROM CITY AND COUNTRY. I suppose you could call him the 1st struggling journalist in the US and a bit of inspiration to all of us who love collecting these historical treasures 

 

March, 2024 Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

March 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Welcome to the March Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. In addition to the ongoing monthly features (Newly added catalog items, this month’s discounted newspapers, links to recent posts, etc.) we also have two “fun” items:

A Flash From The Past

(Tim Hughes’ 1st Video for RareNewspapers.com)

Special 10-Day Offer for Members

(10 Items Originally Priced at $99-$120 for Only $20 Each)

The remaining monthly features are below. Don’t miss the post regarding the 12th U.S. President and the Tim’s post about an item from his personal collection. Please enjoy.

Catalog 340 – Newly Added

(25 more added just yesterday)

Catalog 340 – Complete List

(great issues still available)

March’s Discounted Issues (over 200 at 50% off)

(over 100 items)

Recent Posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog

They Put It In Print – The 12th President of The United States…

This Month in History – March…

The reason I collected it: The State, 1892…

“The Idea of a President”…

RareNewspapers.com has over 18,000 collectible newspapers

available for under $50…

Dramatic Headlines Speak for Themselves… Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated!

A Fly on the Wall … With the Founding Fathers…

As always, thanks for collecting with us!
Sincerely,
Guy & Laura Heilenman & the entire Rare Newspapers Team
570-326-1045

A Fly on the Wall … With the Founding Fathers

February 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Today, once again, my mind wandered to the concept of being a “fly on the wall” and so I thought I would add another post to my ongoing series. Truth be told, the event that most stirs this desire in me is when I think of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien sitting and having a pint together in some slightly smoky pub but, such a moment is not to be found in a newspaper. However, as I thought of these 2 great thinkers and fast friends, I was reminded of another exceptional mind who also expressed a great appreciation for beer and so, it was I am sure, no coincidence that I noticed the following in a copy of THE AMERICAN JOURNAL & GENERAL ADVERTISER from Sept. 9, 1779

“Address To the Inhabitants of Ireland”, signed in type at its conclusion: B. Franklin. Versailles, October 4, 1778.
It begins: “The misery & distress which your ill-fated country has been so frequently exposed to & has so often experienced…has most sincerely affected your friends in America and has engaged the most serious attention of Congress…”

While I am sure Ben Franklin & C.S. Lewis did not hold all things in common, they both certainly pressed boundaries and inspired those they brushed elbows with and those who could only admire them from afar. Perhaps we can all raise a glass to these gems of the past.

“The Idea of a President” – Food for thought on Presidents’ Day…

February 19, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

When you hear the phrase, “The Idea of a President”, does anything come to mind?

It is no secret my wife loves Disney World. I love(ish) it to, because “a happy wife makes a happy life”, and there are few things more enjoyable than watching her delight in the escapism that is Disney World. If you’ve never been there, the combination of the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, enhanced by Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs makes for a splendid vacation. Of course, at this point some might be wondering where I stand in regard to Disney’s recent political engagement, but that very question is the reason for this post:

THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS

Nestled in the middle of The Magic Kingdom is a colonial-style building which houses The Hall of Presidents. Walt Disney was a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln in particular, and of the American concept of a “President” in general. Without going into detail about the presentation itself, simply said, I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks to my wife I have had the opportunity to view the program during multiple administrations over the past (many) decades, and I have never failed to walk away with a greater appreciation for the one in office – not due to my alignment with their politics or their wisdom-buoyed leadership, but because of the office itself and the weight of responsibility which those who hold the office inherit. It truly is a fantastic presentation!

I was recently reminded of this point when I came across an issue of The New York Times dated March 16, 1976 which included an inside article headed: “Disney’s Hall of Presidents Not ’76 Politics”. As I read through the article and viewed the corresponding photos my appreciation for “the presidency” itself was lifted, and I was encouraged, at least for a day, to set aside my political arrows and thank God for all those who have, are, and will serve, 1st-hand, “The Idea of a President”.

May HE give them the wisdom to honor the position, as I honor them. Happy Presidents’ Day!

Capturing the Vibe… Science, Invention, Exploration & Industry from the 1920’s…

February 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Nerdy things this month in our continuing series, “Capturing the Vibe” where we try to imagine what the world felt like to a newspaper reader from the past by immersing ourselves in their “vibe of the day”. This month we explore an issue of Scientific American from the 1920’s which documents the latest and greatest inventions of the day.

In this regard…

 

Some Scientific American issues have front color covers which always grab my attention.

 

 

These ladies are ladies are repurposing airplane struts as toys for tots …

 

Artists visit the zoo to sketch real live animals …

The Panama Canal has new terminals added…

 

Perhaps the beginning of Geothermal? …

 

And finally, on the back page a beautiful color ad for Federal Motor Trucks.

The World Takes Note… Has Amelia Earhart’s Plane Been Located?

February 5, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Many historical events spark one’s imagination… the Wright Brothers’ 1st flight from the windy dunes of Kitty Hawk, NC… Charles Lindbergh’s courage crossing the Atlantic and all the drama that ensued…  followed by Amelia Earhart’s “last” flight and mysterious disappearance. As of this month, we have a new intriguing event to add to this list of aviation stories. According to TIME Magazine: “A 16-person team led by Deep Sea Vision, a company in South Carolina, used an unmanned, underwater drone to scan more than 5,200 square miles of ocean floor between September and December of 2023. Sonar data reviewed in December revealed an image that the company’s founder, Tony Romeo, believes is Earhart’s plane, Lockheed 10-E Electra, that she was flying when she went missing in 1937. ” 

Like previous news items, we will just have to wait to know the final outcome, however, some of us who love the feeling of adventure and daring wrapped up in the stories of early flight may want to revisit those heroes of the past as we wait with baited breath for news of that famous Lockheed Electra.

An inside look at Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers… History’s Newsstand…

January 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

WGRC (“The message is in the music!”)… While being a radio station, they feature the video series, “Around the Valley”, which focuses on various businesses from around the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania. A few weeks ago they spent several hours learning about “Rare & Early Newspapers” – both as a business and as a collectible. They were truly delightful, and their authentic enthusiasm for the hobby was evident.

The 14-minute synopsis of our time together is shown below. Please enjoy.

YouTube player

This Day in “News” History… January 26th…

January 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Another day of news as reported in original newspapers… January 26th…

There are many internet sources available to explore what happened on a particular day in history. However, as collectors and resellers of “Rare & Early Newspapers”, our curiosity lies in what people were reading in their morning newspaper on specific days in history. In nearly every instance they were discovering what happened the day prior – and if one reaches back into the 1600s, 1700’s, and early 1800s, when news travelled a bit more slowly, they very well could have been (finally) reading about “rumored” and/or anticipated events from days, weeks, or even months prior.

Today’s adventure?

What about January 26th? The following link will take you to all of our available newspapers dated January 26th:

NEWS REPORTED in NEWSPAPERS on January 26th (through time)

Enjoy the trek. Oh, and if you want to try other dates, go here and plug in any month/day of interest.

 

The reason I collected it: The Battery, 1848…

January 19, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

THE BATTERY, from Washington, D.C., was a campaign newspaper supporting Zachary Taylor for President and Millard Fillmore for Vice President.
In the era before radio, television, and the internet it was not uncommon for political parties to create short-lived newspapers to support their candidate and publicize their political platform. Such newspapers tended to be short-lived; once the election was over… so was the newspaper. However, some titles existed for some months afterward.
Shown below is a portion of the #16 issue dated Oct. 19, 1848, the title existing from July 6 through November 2, 1848, then printing just two more issues: Nov. 16, 1848 and Jan. 25, 1849, for a total of 20 issues.
Of special interest–and a prime reason for it qualifying for the private collection–is the great masthead engraving, which is essentially a political cartoon showing the heroic Taylor on his horse commanding: “A little More Grape! Captain Bragg” to be shot at Lewis Cass, his political rival.
This phrase was a famous one in Taylor’s military career, a command to then-Captain (later General in the Confederacy) Braxton Bragg to fire more grapeshot at the Mexicans during the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War.

A wonderfully rare title, a short-lived Presidential campaign newspaper, and a political cartoon for a masthead.

Bring Back the Old Names… Sports Stadiums Losing Their Charm…

January 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 

Guaranteed Rate Field, M&T Stadium, Oracle Park… do any of these names ring a bell for you? Perhaps if they are housing “your team” they seem familiar however, for the rest of us (or maybe just me) they seem boring and generic.

Let’s try again with their classic names… Cominskey Park, Camden Yards, Candlestick. Ahhh, now that feels right. The other day I was talking with some friends and mourning the loss of the classic names for sports stadiums.  As I am sure you are aware, these days the name is offered to the highest bidder.  How long, we wondered, till Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park are no more? Thankfully, we have record of these gems in Newspapers: THE NEW YORK TIMES, Sept. 14, 1920 … The top of page 13 has a column headed: “Terms Agreed Upon For Yankees’ Park”

Once again, history is preserved in newspapers of the day. Ok, so it may not be as critical to humanity as the founding of our nation but, to a baseball fan, it is still pretty sweet!

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