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Great Headlines Speak for Themselves… The First Moon Walk…
November 17, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with the WAPAKONETA DAILY NEWS, Ohio, July 21, 1969, which reported the first moon walk. Whereas most newspapers declared some variation of: “Man Walks on the Moon”, this one was a little more specific – perhaps because it was his hometown newspaper:
“NEIL STEPS ON THE MOON”
November Newsletter (2025) – Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
November 14, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Who’s Who in Newspapers – John Wanamaker edition
November 10, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Typically, our “Who’s Who in Newspapers” series highlights individuals who were unfamiliar to me before I delved into the world of Rare & Early Newspapers. Today’s post is a departure from that norm. While reviewing the December 12, 1922, issue of The Bethlehem Times, I came across a front-page report of John Wanamaker’s passing. The article stirred a flood of childhood memories tied to this remarkable man whose legacy left a lasting impression on me. Eager to share his story, I hope the following introduction sheds light on his extraordinary contributions.
John Wanamaker: The Merchant Who Made Shopping an Experience
From personal memories to retail innovation, Wanamaker’s left a legacy that reshaped both commerce and tradition. Every December starting in the mid-1950s, my parents bundled up my siblings and me for a trip into Philadelphia to see the Christmas light and music show at Wanamaker’s (currently being converted into a mixed-use facility). To us, it was pure magic — thousands of twinkling lights, the sound of the great pipe organ, and crowds of families gathered in awe. With my grandmother working in the store during those years, Wanamaker’s always felt like more than a department store — it felt like part of our family’s story.
That sense of wonder was no accident. John Wanamaker (1838–1922), the man behind the store, believed shopping could be more than a transaction — it could be an experience. When he opened his Philadelphia department store in 1876, it quickly became a model for modern retail. Wanamaker pioneered the one-price system (no haggling), introduced the money-back guarantee, and used newspaper advertising on a scale few had seen before.
He also reshaped how Americans paid for what they bought. Realizing that many working families couldn’t afford to pay cash for larger purchases, Wanamaker offered installment plans and charge accounts. This bold move laid the foundation for consumer credit, opening the door for more households to access quality goods.
Beyond retail, Wanamaker served as U.S. Postmaster General under President Benjamin Harrison, introducing commemorative stamps and expanding rural mail delivery. Yet it was his Philadelphia store — both marketplace and civic landmark — that became his greatest legacy.
Even today, the memory of standing with my siblings beneath the glow of the light show while the Wanamaker organ thundered through the Grand Court remains a vivid reminder of how one man’s vision reshaped not just shopping, but tradition itself.
Wanamaker’s Firsts – Innovations that reshaped retail
- One-Price System – Ended the practice of haggling; everyone paid the same fair price.
- Money-Back Guarantee – Built customer trust and loyalty.
- Large-Scale Advertising – One of the first to use newspapers to reach wide audiences.
- Department Store Experience – Turned shopping into a cultural outing with art, music, and public events.
- Consumer Credit – Introduced installment plans and charge accounts, paving the way for modern credit.
Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (October, 1775)…
November 6, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
England Misses the Temper of the Times (Lead-up to a Nation – E9)
George Washington – Religious Freedom (Lead-up to a Nation – E10)
Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys (Lead-up to a Nation – E11)
The Liberty Tree (Lead-up to a Nation – E12)
George Washington – Integrity, Leadership & Humility (Lead-up to a Nation – E13)
We hope you are enjoying this year-long trek to the 250th anniversary of The United States through the eyes of those who were fully engaged, first hand. As mentioned previously, all accounts are rooted in what they read in the newspapers of the day.
“History is never more fascinating than when read from the day it was first reported.” (Timothy Hughes, 1975)
Announcing: Catalog #360 for November, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 31, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Catalog #360 (for November)
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They Put It In Print – A U.S. President Seeks Permission…
October 27, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In the U.S., only Congress can declare war. So how many wars have Americans actually fought since World War II? You might think of the Korean War, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, or Afghanistan. But here’s the catch: the answer is technically zero.
How can that be? Modern presidents simply avoid the word “war,” using terms like “military engagement” or “conflict” instead. No official declaration, no congressional vote—problem solved.
It wasn’t always this way. Take the War of 1812: President James Madison believed the U.S. needed to go to war with Great Britain. Did he send troops under a euphemism like “military operation”? No. He went straight to Congress with a detailed manifesto explaining why war was necessary. That document, printed in The War on June 27, 1812, shows just how seriously Madison took the Constitution’s war powers. The introduction and conclusion of his lengthy plea are shown below.
Today, renaming wars might serve convenience or strategy, but it raises a bigger question: if we can call war by any name we like, what happens to the checks and balances the Constitution set in place?
Do you think this trend is a necessary evolution—or a dangerous bypass of Congress?
Headlines That Never Happened: Germany’s Loss and Its Lasting Echoes…
October 20, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In April of 1918, a newspaper playfully speculated on what the headlines might have looked like if Germany had won World War I. A century later, we know the opposite outcome set in motion consequences far greater than most could have imagined. Germany’s defeat, and the way the Allies handled it, reshaped not just Europe but the modern world.
The Ripple Effects of Germany’s World War I Defeat
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed heavy reparations, territorial losses, and strict military limits on Germany. Instead of securing peace, these terms humiliated the nation and destabilized its young democracy. The resentment they bred became fertile ground for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, leading to World War II and the Holocaust.
Europe’s New Order
Britain and France emerged victorious but weakened, while the United States stepped into global leadership. Versailles became a cautionary tale: punish a nation too harshly, and you may guarantee the next war. After World War II, the Allies took the opposite approach—rebuilding Germany through the Marshall Plan and anchoring it in NATO and the European Union. Today, Germany’s central role in both reflects that strategy.
Jews and the Holocaust
Germany’s turmoil fueled dangerous scapegoating. Conspiracy theories like the “stab-in-the-back” myth cast Jews as traitors, intensifying antisemitism that Nazi propaganda later weaponized. The Holocaust destroyed European Jewry and gave new urgency to the Zionist movement, leading to the founding of Israel in 1948.
Redrawing the Middle East
The collapse of Germany’s ally, the Ottoman Empire, allowed Britain and France to carve up the Middle East. Mandates in Iraq, Syria, and Palestine ignored ethnic and religious realities. Britain’s contradictory promises to Jews and Arabs in Palestine set the stage for the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lasting Echoes
The “war to end all wars” did not end conflict—it reshaped it. From NATO and the EU to Israel’s creation and Middle Eastern instability, the ripple effects of Germany’s defeat still define our world.
While the two photos above show The Liberty Blast with a dateline of April 29, 1920, this newspaper with “fictious reporting” was actually printed on April 20, 1918 “in the hope that in some small way it may serve to awaken in the hearts & minds of those who read it a realization of those horrors of a great world war, so far from and yet to near to American shores, American life, and American people…”.
October Newsletter (2025) – Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 17, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Who’s Who in Newspapers? Citizen Genêt edition…
October 10, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
The 10th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers
Citizen who? While exploring newspapers from the 18th and early 19th centuries over the past few decades, I noticed the name “Citizen Genet” appearing more than once—always tied to some sort of “affair.” As a novice historian at the time (my academic background is actually in mathematics and engineering), and given my aversion to sensationalized “yellow journalism,” I let it pass. With tens of thousands of fascinating topics to explore through our beloved collectible, I never stopped to uncover who he really was or what his “affair” involved.
Recently, however, I embraced the old adage that “it’s never too late to learn” and finally took the plunge. What I found was a story worth the effort, one that offered both historical insight and a better appreciation for the newspapers that recorded it. A summary of my discovery is as follows:
Edmond-Charles “Citizen” Genet was a French diplomat sent to the United States in 1793 to gain American support for France’s wars with Britain and other European powers. Instead of observing diplomatic protocol, he jumped right into recruiting privateers to attack British ships and encouraging Americans to take up arms against Spain. These moves directly violated President George Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation of 1793. To make matters worse, Genet bypassed Washington altogether and appealed directly to the American public, an act that came across as both disrespectful and threatening to U.S. sovereignty.
The uproar that followed—known as the “Citizen Genet Affair”—quickly became a defining moment in America’s early history. Washington demanded Genet’s recall, reinforcing both the president’s authority in foreign affairs and the new nation’s commitment to neutrality. At home, the controversy deepened political divisions: Federalists supported Washington’s cautious stance, while Democratic-Republicans sympathized with revolutionary France. In the end, Genet was granted asylum in the United States and lived out his life in New York, but his story left behind a lasting lesson in diplomacy and America’s determination to remain independent from foreign influence.
So much for jumping to conclusions regarding his “affair”. I should have known better.
The photos shown are from two articles within the Columbian Centinel, Dec. 11, 1793. – the above in full, and the below of only an excerpt due to the length of the article. If original newspapers on this topic remain available, they would be found at: CITIZEN GENET
Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (Intro & Sept., 1775)…
October 3, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
British News Delayed – Lead-up to a Nation (E5)
Lord Dunmore and Colonial Unrest – Lead-up to a Nation (E6)
Patrick Henry – Lead-up to a Nation (E7)
Benjamin Franklin – Lead-up to a Nation (E8)
We hope you are enjoying this year-long trek to the 250th anniversary of The United States through the eyes of those who were fully engaged, first hand. As mentioned previously, all accounts are rooted in what they read in the newspapers of the day.
“History is never more fascinating than when read from the day it was first reported.” (Timothy Hughes, 1975)