A gem in the American Antiquarian Society… “The Royal Danish American Gazette”…

February 11, 2013 by  
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In celebration of its 20oth anniversary the American Antiquarian Society published a beautiful  exhibition catalog titled “In Pursuit Of A Vision – Two Centuries of Collecting at the American Antiquarian Society”. Featured are a fascinating array of books, documents, maps & other paper ephemera, as well as several very rare & unusual newspapers we felt worthy of sharing with our collectors (with permission from the A.A.S.).

104. “The Royal Danish American Gazette“, Christiansted, St. Croix, September 11, 1776

The Waldo Lincoln collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century West Indian newspapers numbers several thousand issues — many being the only known copies — and is one of the most important to be found anywhere.

The Royal Danish American Gazette was the first newspaper published in what is now the Virgin Islands. It was founded in 1770, when publisher Daniel Thibou relocated from St. Kitts to establish the first press on St. Croix. Portions were printed in Danish for the benefit of St. Croix’s sizable Danish population. We know that it had a fairly wide circulation, for a number of its articles were reprinted in contemporary American newspapers. Scholars have recently taken renewed interest in the significance of the West indies for early American history; but given the tropical climate, relatively few primary sources survive in West Indian libraries.

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Comments

3 Responses to “A gem in the American Antiquarian Society… “The Royal Danish American Gazette”…”

  1. Christine Gobbato on July 17th, 2017 9:39 pm

    Hello, I was wondering if it is possible to get online access to the The Royal Danish American Gazette? We are looking for any information in regards to a house at 2 Church Street Christianshed. The possible articles about this house and the family that owned or worked at the house would be very interesting and valuable to us. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

    Christine
    360-305-5450

  2. GuyHeilenman on July 20th, 2017 11:01 am

    Hello Christine – I hope someone will answer this. We do not know how to obtain access.

  3. Rikke L. Halberg on August 6th, 2017 4:07 am

    Hi Christin! Issues of The Royal Danish American Gazette from 1770-1802 have been made available by the State Library in Denmark: http://www2.statsbiblioteket.dk/mediestream/avis/list/doms_newspaperAuthority%3Auuid%3A3a7b5d13-03af-4f47-afb9-c79f4921de2f

    You can mail the library and ask if more issues will become available (or if this is all they have). Best, Rikke

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