Rare Newspapers – distracting?

One of the most common questions our Rare Newspapers’ ^[1] staff is asked is, “How do you ever get anything done?  Don’t you get distracted by the interesting content within the issues?”  The answer is an enthusiastic, “YES!”  One of the most enjoyable aspects of our daily interaction with early newspapers are these very “distractions”.  Hardly a day goes by where we aren’t fascinated by or engaged in conversation resulting from the content within the issues we find.

One such discussion (distraction) was recently inspired by an issue of the Omaha Daily Bee dated June 28, 1919, which originally caught our attention because of its dramatic WWI ^[2] headline, “PEACE TREATY SIGNED”, with a corresponding subhead, “China Alone Refuses To Sign Covenant That Ends Greatest War in History”.  However, what caused our “distraction” was the front page text (shown in the image) regarding the “World’s Ten Greatest Peace Treaties“.  Although this issue is no longer available, it can be viewed at:  http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/570082?acl=781584385 ^[3].  Much has occurred since the early 20th century.  We wonder what such a list might include if it were printed on the front page of a tomorrow’s newspaper? ^[3]