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Just for fun! “Historical” Crossword Puzzle from 1931…
February 24, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We all have different interests. For example, some love to immerse themselves in history, while others prefer to plunge into crossword puzzles. But what about those who enjoy both? Can one explore the past by engaging in what I will call a (okay, “an”) historical crossword puzzle? It’s one thing to absorb a lot of knowledge about a particular time in history – and perusing through Rare & Early Newspapers from the period can certainly help the adventurer grasp how those who lived at the time perceived the world around them. However, learning to think as they did may be next to impossible. Language, available knowledge, education emphasis, social norms and variances, along with a plethora of other aspects of culture all combine to shape the way we think – and too much has changed. The quest to do so falls under the same umbrella as trying to walk in someone else’s shoes. For the sake of understanding we can do our best, but in the end, we know that while our efforts may be admirable, we can never come close to achieving the task.
Ok… too much seriousness for one post. Let’s have fun trying to think like someone who lived in the early 1930’s by indulging in a crossword puzzle printed in a Liberty (magazine), New York, dated January 31, 1931. I hope you enjoy the challenge.
Note: The answers can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. If you enjoy the adventure, let me know at guy@rarenewspapers.com. If enough respond affirmatively, we’ll post another from a different year.
Link to Answers
Reflection: George Washington’s Birthday…
February 20, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
My five siblings and I grew up on the “wrong side of the tracks”. There really were tracks… and refineries which lit up the night sky… and rodents running around the neighborhood… and other creepy-crawly things which kept us awake at night. We had little money, but our lives were full, and our parent’s efforts to indulge us on a shoestring (when they could afford them) budget were always met with enthusiasm and thankful hearts. Holidays were the best – always soliciting a high degree of anticipation, for our dad would never fail to bring home a special treat to celebrate the occasion. My personal favorite was Washington’s Birthday – the holiday where I discovered the joys of dark chocolate and sweet cherries – the former birthed by “silver coins” to celebrate his amazing talent of throwing silver dollars across the Potomac River, and the latter through delightful chocolate covered cherries which reminded us to never lie – especially about chopping down trees. I didn’t know much about Washington other than him being our first President, but one thing I knew for certain, he must have been pretty awesome – a truth confirmed with jubilance by my tastebuds.
While I embrace the profound value we all have as a result of being made in God’s image, and appreciate the contribution each president has made to this great nation, I was sad to see Washington’s Birthday downgraded to an “all inclusive/generic” holiday. As one of my favorite authors (David McCullough) once said: “If everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless.”
As time went on and I became a bit more educated, I accepted the reality that Washington didn’t actually chop down a cherry tree (let alone own up to doing so); and, while I’m still a bit uncertain, the realization that he likely found better use for silver dollars settled in.
Still, these annual mini-celebrations, flawed as they were, helped awaken my appreciation for our “Founding Parents” in general, and for George Washington in particular. Is everything I learned about him accurate? Of course not. However, one thing I know for sure, the populace cried deep tears of sorrow when their beloved leader, to the amazement of the world, voluntarily steps aside so “We The People” could select their choice for the next to hold the reigns. Is his birthday still worth celebrating? Maybe so, or maybe not, but as for me, I’m picking up some chocolate covered cherries on the way home today.
In honor of this great leader, the pre-resignation announcement as it appeared in The Supplement To The Federal Gazette dated September 20, 1796, is shown below. A truly historic moment!
Meet the Staff of Rare & Early Newspapers: Lyndsay Miller
February 17, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Introducing Lyndsay Miller
Lyndsay is the youngest and newest member of the Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers‘ Staff. Her technical title is “Office Assistant”, but her daily tasks include interfacing with collectors, searching our archives for historic newspapers matching client requests, preparing orders, shipping orders, processing the many images we post on our website, helping us to increase our footprint in the world of social media, and more. She is mature beyond her years, has a fantastic work-ethic, and operates out of her strong faith. Married with a great husband and two Golden Retriever pups, she is a wonderful asset to our staff. In the video shown below, she highlights her 4 favorite collectibles within our archives. Please enjoy.
Catching Everyone By Suprise… A Valentine’s Day to Remember…
February 13, 2023 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Some holidays catch us by surprise. Countless men have either forgotten their wedding anniversary until it was either too late, or until the last minute when buying that “perfect gift” was no longer an option. So it is in spades with a more recently “invented” holiday: Valentine’s Day. While some refuse to be manipulated into yet another obligation to invest in the greeting card, flower and candy industries, yet others invent creative new ways to mark this wonderful day of romance and the celebration of love. Such was the case with Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1929. This mob hit, nicknamed The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, stumped police until more than 2 years later, and even then no one was formally charged. Hopefully, everyone this year will opt for flowers… and not the kind we see adorning graves as as we drive by our local cemetery. 
Snapshot 1941 – Crushing Debt’s Impact on Democracy…
February 10, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
With the U.S. national debt spiraling out of control, many economists are predicting the demise of this once (still?) great nation. Is this merely politics… fearmongering… crying wolf? Such concerns have been voiced as far back as when Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury and continue to this day. One such instance surfaced in 1941 and was chronicled in the Liberty Magazine dated February 15, 1941. These cries in the wilderness seeming fall on deaf ears without the doomsday predictions coming to fruition. However, the problem with apocalyptic events is thy have a tendency to be kept at bey… until one day there being viewed in the rear-view mirror with eyes welled up with regret. Let’s hope our generation is not the one shedding tears on behalf of our children and our children’s children.
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To… Displayable Mastheads . . . A Lost Art
February 6, 2023 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
As citizens of the 21st century we are often aware of the diminishing quality we see in current products compared to the same items owned by our parents or grandparents (many technology-based items excluded). Perhaps the differences are due to available materials, the labor required to produce things, or perhaps a decreasing commitment to excellence (golly I’m sure sounding old). Case in point: Whereas pre-1850 newspapers, due to the cost of paper and “taxes”, were created in a very pragmatic way with every inch on a page packed to the hilt using a very small-font text, there was often one exception – the masthead. Consider the image above and the two newspapers from 1848 & 1849 shown in the links below. These issues are wonderful examples of the pragmatism of early printers combined with their desire of share beauty. Compared to today’s mastheads and graphic headlines, these newspaper publishers valued balance as they dispersed the daily or weekly news – blending both fascinating content and winsome artwork. Even today, decades or centuries later, these mastheads give me pause and solicit a deep appreciation for those who took the time to bring such charm to daily lives which were often devoid of significant beauty.
OLIVE BRANCH, Boston, November 10, 1849
Note: The 1850 date above was not a hard cut-off date. Newspapers such as The Liberator continued this practice well into the 1860’s, and a few other titles had wonderful mastheads well into the early 20th century.
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.