Announcing: Catalog #336 for November, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

November 3, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

 

The November catalog (#336) 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 #336 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: Lincoln’s assassination (in a Washington, D.C. newspaper), the famous ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ newspaper, Bunker Hill & Washington becomes commander-in-chief, a rare newsbook dated 1647, Paul Revere engraved the masthead, John Wilkes Booth’s final performance at Ford’s Theatre, and more.

 

 

Helpful Links to the Catalog:
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DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off)
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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.]

The reason I collected it: The John-Donkey – 1848…

October 30, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

While historic events & people–whether they be tragic, heroic, or celebratory–are the domain for most collectors, venturing out of this arena into the small world of comic and satire magazines can be a refreshing change.

This title is a great example, and in my 47 years of collecting newspapers this is the only issue I have encountered. It lasted but 29 weekly issues in 1848. Its significance is such that Frank L. Mott, in his book “A History of American Magazines, 1741-1850”, devoted a chapter to this title.

A few comments from his book include: “…John-Donkey always maintained the tradition of his stupidity… he claimed only to be stupid and was continually trying to prove his stupidity…Most of John-Donkey’s articles, long and short, were satires upon contemporary events or fads, upon organizations, movements, and persons. Politics were prominent…The first page of each issue bore a series of pictures of John Donkey himself in various attitudes…Each number contained a political cartoon, full pate in size, and printed on an unbacked leaf [the print in this issue of ‘The Pennsylvania Thimble-Rigger’, blank on the reverse]…  It is very probable that the seven libel suits filed against the John-Donkey in May had something to do with its demise…”. The photos below is of the issue dated March 11, 1848 – the one I collected.

If they would only have built it sooner… (Shoeless) Joe Jackson…

October 27, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Even if you are not a fan of baseball, in case you haven’t done so already, the movie “Field of Dreams” is winner. The themes of perseverance, worthwhile priorities, and personal sacrifice are masterfully woven together to create one of the more inspiring movies of the 1980-1990’s. Steering clear of spoilers for those who have yet to see it, I’ll just restate that which is already included in the movie’s trailer: “If you build it, they will come!” Without being overly sappy… honestly, you really need to see it.

So, how does this relate to Rare & Early Newspapers? A few days ago one of our staff found an article from 1913 featuring one of the three main characters – “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (of Black Sox scandal fame), who was given a “2nd chance” at playing baseball – the assumption being he would have jumped at the chance to reengage at the professional level had he been given the opportunity to do so. Without saying more, I’ll let the heading and the 1st few paragraphs of the article do the talking (see below). Oh, and for the record, post-baseball, Joe and his wife (who were a team of their own until his death) eventually moved on from baseball, opened a BBQ restaurant, then “Joe Jackson’s Liquor Store”, and along the way co-raised two of his nephews. For better or worse, even if someone would have built it, I’m not sure he really would have come.

I hope you enjoy a portion of the article:

Dramatic Headlines Speak for Themselves… Senator Robert Kennedy near death…

October 23, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with the LOS ANGELES TIMES, June 6, 1968, which had a pre-death report on the assassination of Senator Bobby Kennedy:

KENNEDY PARALYZED AND NEAR DEATH

October Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

October 20, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Welcome to the October, 2023 edition of our monthly newsletter. This month the focus is on the History’s Newsstand blog, an eclectic array of names found within the list of newly discounted items, and an expanded list of bonus catalog items – to include an additional 20+ issues added within the past few days. We hope you enjoy.

Recent Posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog

The reason I (Tim Hughes) collected it:

Predicting the 21st century from a perch in 1929…

Einstein… Smarter than a 5th grader?

From the Vault – What is the best way to preserve & store newspapers?

Video Highlights from Catalog 331 (June, 2023)…

Dramatic Headlines Speak for Themselves… WWII – Attack on Los Angeles…

Snapshot 1960… From Small Beginnings (Jesse Jackson)…

This Month’s Set of Discounted Newspapers – 50% Off

This month’s set of discounted issues features mentions of an eclectic array of names, a sampling which includes: Al Capone, Charles Cornwallis, George Washington (and another mentioning his mother), Ted Williams, George Patton, Woody & Buzz, Henry Fonda, Samuel Fraunces, John Hancock, John Dillinger, Jack McGurn, Clark Gable & Vivien Leigh, John Barrymore, Ivar Kreuger, Winston Churchill and more. The issues may be viewed at:

Discounted Newspapers – 50% Off

New Items Added to Catalog 331

Since Catalog 331 went to print we’ve added over 40 additional issues including 20+ within the past few days. The entire list of new items, which can only be viewed on-line, are at:

Catalog 331’s “New Items”

Catalog 331 (in case you missed it):

The entire Catalog

Key Issues from Catalog 331

Catalog 331 (in “quick scan” format)

Catalog 331 – Priced under $50

Highlight Video – Catalog 331

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

October Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

October 16, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Welcome to the October 2023 edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we are featuring a custom 3-century set, an amazing array of new catalog items, a free issue, a new assemblage of discounted issues (at 50% off), and links to recent posts on our History’s Newsstand Blog. We hope you enjoy.

3-Issue Set Spanning 3 Centuries – a unique opportunity to own authentic newspapers from any month and day of your choice – covering three centuries!

“3-Issue Set Spanning 3 Centuries”

New Items Added to Catalog #335 – Since Catalog #335 went to print we’ve added nearly 50 additional issues – another 30+ yesterday. Some of the topics/titles include: a terrific issue on the Battle of Gettysburg, a famous Homer print (“Flirting on the Sea-Shore, and on the Meadow”), Karl Marx as a newspaper reporter, a Mormon periodical from Denmark, a rare title from the Dakota Territory, feature on jazz musician Ornette Coleman (Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner), the historic 1912 Women’s Suffrage Parade (in New York City), a pamphlet on King James’ dissenters on his Declaration of Indulgence (Freedom of Religion), a plea for separation of church & state in America (1768), “Back Number Budd’s” great loss, and more. The entire list of new items may be viewed at:

Catalog 335’s “New Items”

Discounted Newspapers (50% off) – Over 100 items have been added to last month’s set of discounted issues. The prices shown reflect the discount.

Discounted Issues

Free Newspaper (no obligation to buy) – This month we are offering up to 25 free newspapers (while supplies last). All we ask is for you to cover the S&H ($10 if the order does not include anything else, $1 if purchased with at least one additional newspaper). There is a limit of one per collector. The issue may be viewed and/or purchased at:

Free Newspaper

The Entire October Catalog:

Catalog #335 – All Items

Recent Posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog:

Bad Luck vs. Fate – The Sullivan Brothers…

Who will be the Superpowers of the 22nd century?

Exploring “This Day in History” through Rare & Early Newspapers… Updated!

Goodbye Lyndsay… Hello Breck…

From the Vault – Finding those unexpected historical nuggets…

Snapshot 1839… Is an atheist’s sworn statement in court valid?

They Put It In Print – Going to extreme lengths to prove another’s innocence…

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

Bad Luck vs. Fate – The Sullivan Brothers…

October 13, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Today is Friday – more specifically, Friday the 13th. I’m not superstitious or a fatalist, and I’m not quite sure what I think about “the luck of the Irish”, and even if it does exist on some level, whether or not Irish-Americans have it (or is it washed away in the salt water of Atlantic during transit. Quite honestly, I try to limit my exposure to bad news. However, a few weeks ago one of our staff brought me a 1943 newspaper containing an article regarding the dreadful story of the Sullivan Brothers during WWII. While the event was immortalized in the movie “The Fighting Sullivans”, and inspired drama “Saving Private Ryan”, there is no better way to capture this horrible moment than reading it as it was reported in 1943. A clip of the article is shown below, and more may be viewed through the link: Five Sullivan Brothers Killed in WWII Action. Was it fate, bad luck (of the Irish?), or something entirely different? Regardless, one thing is for certain, it was horribly tragic!

Exploring “This Day in History” through Rare & Early Newspapers… Updated!

October 6, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Who among us isn’t a bit curious as to what occurred on our birthday (or today’s date) through time? The concept of exploring a specific day (month/day) through history has always been intriguing, but before the internet, such knowledge was not easy to obtain. However, in the present world of data explosion, websites which explore “This Day in History” do the job quite nicely and have become very popular. One of my favorites is HISTORY.COM maintained by The History Channel.

Of course, as a collector and reseller of old newspapers, this trek is amplified by the capability of holding authentic newspapers containing contemporary reporting of these events – to not only read the articles themselves, but to explore the context of what else was going on as the events unfolded.

Thanks to ongoing requests from collectors, we’ve created an interface on our website which enables the seeker to explore what is available at any given moment for any month/day. Even if you are not looking to add to your collection, perusing through the issues can be fascinating. If you have interest in giving this a try, the steps below are provided to help you get started.

This feature is available at: Explore: “THIS DAY IN HISTORY”

– – –

I tried own birthday and came up with the following: January 2nd Through Time

Don’t forget the “Sort” feature which will give you multiple ways to arrange your search results. Have Fun!

 

Announcing: Catalog #335 for October, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

September 29, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

 

The October catalog (#335) 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 #335 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: Birth of the oil industry (in a Houston newspaper), Broadside issue of “The Daily Rebel” newspaper, George Washington at age 22 (and a map of America), Washington crosses the Delaware, London newsbook from 1659, Boston newspaper with an engraving by Paul Revere, 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.]

From the Vault – Finding those unexpected historical nuggets.

September 25, 2023 by · Leave a Comment 

Few thrills are greater in the rare newspaper collecting hobby than finding the unexpected historic gem. Those moments of serendipity are the treasures we all hope for at some point in our quest for new additions to our collection.

I have come across many in my years of collecting with two among the more interesting.

Long before the days of the internet I subscribed to the catalogs of the prestigious Sotheby’s auction house in New York City as they occasionally ran Americana sales which included newspapers. One sale offered an issue of the SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE from August of 1776. Trying to assemble one newspaper of all thirteen colonies from the Revolutionary War, this would be a new addition to that set. The lengthy catalog description noted some war skirmishes but nothing significant. But that was not a concern to me as I was only seeking a title from that colony from during the war, and the date of 1776 made it that much better. I placed my bid and was excited to learn I won the issue.

Several weeks later the issue arrived. In preparing it for my collection I casually looked over the content, and you can imagine my shock upon finding on page 2 a complete printing of the Declaration of Independence! I couldn’t imagine the incompetence of the cataloger–employed by Sotheby’s no less–who missed this report.

Not many years ago we purchased the newspaper holding of a public library in Massachusetts which includes a lengthy run of a Springfield newspaper, in fact two truckloads of volumes ranging from the mid-1800’s thru the latter part of the 20th century. Knowing the wealth of historical material which could be culled from this collection we put our attention to those events for several months upon its return to our office & warehouse in Williamsport. Some time later we realized that the sport of basketball was founded in Springfield. Could we be so fortunate to to find a report off the very first game every played? Did the local newspaper even report what is now an extremely significant event in the history of basketball?

Indeed they did. The Springfield Republican, March 12, 1892 issue reported somewhat inconspicuously on page 6 an event headed “Basket Football Game” played the day before (which we now recognize as the first public basketball game), with mention of James Naismith who is recognized as the founder of the sport. It was a thrill to find the report which languished for over 100 years, unbeknown to anyone, in the back shelves of a library. Curiously the curator of the Basketball Hall of Fame didn’t appreciate its significance, however the Smithsonian Institution did as it now is part of their collection.

What historical gems have you discovered serendipitously in issues purchased for another reason, or as part of a collection where nothing special was expected?  Feel free to share your stories with other collectors!

(This post was originally published on October 13, 2008.)

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