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Most Popular History’s Newsstand Posts – January 2023 update
February 3, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Whereas some posts are time-sensitive, others have staying power. Although the History Newsstand Blog (sponsored by RareNewspapers.com) has been operating for nearly 15 years and has thousands of entries, certain posts have consistently appeared in the “Top Ten Most Popular Posts” list shown on the right-side menu. The top half-dozen as of this post are:
- Do Old and Antique Newspapers Have Any Collectible Value?
- Setting values for collectible newspapers…
- Genuine or reprint?
- Framing and Storing Newspapers… the ongoing story…
- More on printing newspapers in the 1700’s…
- More on printing newspapers in the 1700’s…
- The reprint issues of the “Honolulu Star-Bulletin” Pearl Harbor issue…
In regard to the most popular (Do Old and Antique Newspapers Have Any Collectible Value?), if you ever have an old newspaper and are curious as to its potential (approximate) value, please contact us directly (info@rarenewspapers.com) as we do not respond through the post itself.
The January (2023) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
January 20, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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Timothy Hughes – sharing his passion for collecting historical newspapers…
October 10, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Tim Hughes has had multiple opportunities to speak about his love for Rare & Early Newspapers. Whether it has been in front of teenagers in Pennsylvania or adults in California, it is especially rewarding when he shares his hobby to those from his own town. He recently had the privilege to do so at the local historical society (Thomas T. Taber Museum) in Williamsport, PA, which was reported in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Please enjoy:
Popular Categories – A Deeper Dive into the Legacies of U.S. Presidents…
May 9, 2022 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Most people have their favorite President of the United States. I’m sure if we each came up with our short list of five favorites there would be considerable overlap. Washington, Lincoln, Ronald Regan or Barack Obama (depending on which side of the isle the person resides), etc. – each president, popular or otherwise, has their own fascinating history which often includes failure, success, and often a few quirky tidbits of fun facts. The wonderful thing about original newspapers is they give collectors the ability to dig into the more obscure details of the lives and legacies of each of these once-upon-a-time “leaders of the free world”. In fact, newspapers containing such mentions are so sought after, we have a dedicated link on our website to help with the exploration: Presidents (U.S.)
As I began perusing collectible issues related to this post my attention aroused by an interesting story regarding our 37th president, Richard Nixon. To counter-act the ever-growing tension which plagued the latter years of his administration – both Watergate and the “resignation” of his VP, Spiro Agnew, President Nixon nominated a replacement for Agnew whom he knew would be easily and quickly confirmed, but who also believed in his innocence in regard to Watergate – one who would likely pardon him if the need arose. President Gerald Ford, after taking the oath of office upon Nixon’s resignation, did in fact give him an unconditional pardon for any and all crimes he may have committed against the United States. Although this particular use of a Presidential pardon has only occurred once in U.S. History, now that the box has been opened, it likely won’t be the last.
Exploring “This Day in History” through Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 22, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · 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.
Step 1: Go to RareNewspapers.com. Once there, look for and then click on the words “Advanced Search” (directly below the orange SEARCH button on the right side of the page), and select it.
Step 2: On the “Advanced Search” page, look for “OR Month & Day (Any Year)”, enter in any month and day, and then select “Search”.
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!
Collecting Old/Historic Newspapers: The 1600s & 1700s…
March 24, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
At Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers (rarenewspapers.com), we are often asked what types of “old Newspapers” are worth collecting. One of the beauties of the hobby is that the possibilities are endless. While we have our own preferences, once a month we will simply direct readers of the History’s Newsstand blog to an era, theme, topic, etc. for which our collector friends have expressed interest. This month’s focus is shown below. Feel free to email me at guy@rarenewspapers.com with your own collecting preference/s. Perhaps one day we’ll feature it/them as well.
The 1600s and 1700s
Collecting Old/Historic Newspapers: The Revolutionary War…
March 17, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
At Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers (rarenewspapers.com), we are often asked what types of “old Newspapers” are worth collecting. One of the beauties of the hobby is that the possibilities are endless. While we have our own preferences, once a month we will simply direct readers of the History’s Newsstand blog to an era, theme, topic, etc. for which our collector friends have expressed interest. This month’s focus is shown below. Feel free to email me at guy@rarenewspapers.com with your own collecting preference/s. Perhaps one day we’ll feature it/them as well.
The Revolutionary War
The October (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 15, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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The September (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
September 17, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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18th Century Gentleman’s Magazines – So Much For So Little…
July 16, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Over 40 years ago we discovered one of the best titles of the 18th century for period news reporting. The title wasn’t even a newspaper but rather, “The Gentleman’s Magazine” from London.
Having begun in 1731, Gentleman’s Magazines ran uninterrupted for nearly 200 years publishing pages capturing news reports concerning America which could never be found in period American newspapers, and were rarely found in period British newspapers.
From its earliest years this popular title printed reports as varied as the creation of the colony of Georgia, William Penn laying out the city of Philadelphia, slave revolts, and reports of pirates operating in the Caribbean.
Issues have much on Ben Franklin & his work with electricity including the lightening rod & famous kite experiments as well as rarely published poems by the famed slave poet Phyllis Wheatley.
Death reports of the famous–and infamous–abound, from Mozart to Handel, from John Paul Jones to George Washington, Patrick Henry and Benedict Arnold… the list is awe inspiring.
Military events are abundant including much on the French & Indian War (with very early Colonel George Washington reports) & all the Revolutionary War battles from the Boston Massacre through the Treaty of Peace.
Keep in mind the American colonies were part of the global British Empire until 1776 so there was much interest in not only American events but notable world events which affected the broad scope of British interests.
Some of the best gems to be found are very inconspicuous reports such as the hanging of what would famously become known as the Liberty Bell. Under the heading: “America” and with a “Philadelphia, May 10” dateline from 1753 is a report reading: “Last week was raised and fixed, in the State-House Steeple, the great bell, weighing 2080 lb. cast here, with this inscription, ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to the inhabitants thereof.”
The full text of the hated Stamp Act is found within the pages of a Gentleman’s Magazine, and just one year later is found the formal repeal of the Stamp Act by King George III. Other Acts of Parliament harmful to colonial relations are reported as well.
Historic documents are certainly not lacking, among them being the Articles of Confederation, the “Causes & Necessity for Taking Up Arms”, the Constitution of the United States (in 1787), and the most desired document of all, the Declaration of Independence.
At a time when an early period printing of the Declaration in an American newspaper will sell for a half a million dollars or more, the ability to purchase a 1776 magazine with a timely printing of the full text of the document for under $4000 is a rare opportunity for any collector.
An added bonus found in many issues of Gentleman’s Magazine is that while plates and maps can simply not be found in newspapers of the 18th century, this wonderful publication contains a wealth of these engravings and wood-cut prints.
Printed separately from the regular pages of the issue and tipped within, most of the maps fold out to be double the size of the issue, and they include some of the more desired maps one would want of the 18th century, including Philadelphia, the colonies (from 1755), Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the Caribbean, St. Augustine, the entire western hemisphere and so much more. Many collectors choose to frame the maps separately from the issue as they are very decorative and are typically dated in an upper corner.
Plates include the Philadelphia State House (later to be known as Independence Hall), St. Philip’s Church in Charleston, the fort at Bunker’s Hill, Ben Franklin’s ‘Square of Squares’, the guillotine which beheaded Louis XVI and his wife, a slavery medal, and even a plate of the Garden of Eden. What I have just described only scratches the surface of the treasures these magazines hold.
The “Gentleman’s Magazine” is a little gem packed with all the history one would want to find from the 18th century. Each issue typically has about 40 pages, and measuring about 5 by 8 inches, they take up very little room in a collection.
Perhaps best of all, The Gentleman’s Magazine is an accessible title as our inventory contains thousands of issues, and at prices far below what would be found in comparable American & British newspapers of the same period.
There can be little excuse for holding back on buying the best events in American history if one is willing to add this famous & successful title to their collection. And there certainly will be a time when even this title will become quite scarce as others discover it as a treasure just begging to be collected.