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You can’t always believe what you read – even when penned with good intentions…
May 6, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
(sarcasm alert)
Did you know you can obtain (collect) British newspapers older than the oldest known British newspapers?
While sounding a tad ridiculous, a newspaper article from a reliable 19th century publication confirms this claim.
Proof:
We recently discovered an article in an issue of the highly respected Niles’ National Register from 1839 which contained the following article:
It appears that as of 1839, the oldest known “English” newspapers were from 1695. The problem? We have several to offer dated earlier. One might argue ours were discovered after this article was penned in 1839, but many of what we have are from The Times (London) whose claim to fame is being the oldest continuously published newspaper in England – perhaps the world(?), and was one of the more prominent newspapers from the 1600’s-1700’s. While the journalist may have been well-intentioned, the facts emphatically betray his/her research.
However, if you are one to believe everything you read, feel free to take a gander at…
British Newspapers Older than the Oldest British Newspapers
Announcing: Catalog #342 for May, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 30, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The May catalog (#342) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
Snapshot 1903 – “Jack the Ripper” in America?
April 15, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In the midst of what appears to be the steady decline of American culture, and the resulting tendency to develop a “woe is us” mindset which begins to long for the past, every now and then I come across a newspaper which serves as a reality check. Such was the case as I perused a Memphis Morning News dated December 21, 1903. The front-page alone had the following headlines: “No Safety for Americans” in Columbia, “Thieves Rob Jail”, “Killed All His Family”, “Russell Is Hurt” (student hits teacher in the head with a rock), “Mountain Bandit Escapes From Jail”, “Charles Nellens Arrested – Charged With Murder of Millionaire Wentz…”, “Saved Two Women From Fire”, “Preferred To Die – Charged With Postal Robberies, He Suicides”, and my favorite, “Jack The Ripper… Ghastly Find In A Hotel”. AND, I’ve yet to move past the front page. YIKES!
Truth be told, Western Culture (in general) and American Culture (specifically) are declining, but the call should be to right the ship for present and future generations, not to bury our heads in the sands of the past. Thanks to the slap in the face provided by this newspaper from 1903, I’ll get back to being thankful for all that is good in the present, while pushing for an even better tomorrow. Go back to life in 1903? No thank you – and WWI, the Spanish Flu, and the devastating Qing Famine are still far beyond the horizon. Note: The latter may not have been a “Western Culture” event, but when 20-30 million people die of starvation, it deserves a mention.
PS Spoiler alert. The Jack the Ripper headline is an early 1900’s version of what today would be labelled “click bait”.
“Collecting Newspapers – The Basics” (Part V) – Reprints…
April 5, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
While “fakes” in collectibles, depending upon the item being sought (stamps, coins, Hummels, etc.), can be common, thankfully such is not the case with Rare and Early Newspapers. Furthermore, the common “fakes” (called “reprints”) are well documented and were rarely done with nefarious motives. Part of the reason for the rarity of reprints is likely the price-point of most collectible newspapers (still quite low) in comparison to the cost of creating a fake which would be good enough to pass as authentic to someone who is familiar with the collectible. Printing methods, ink, paper, era-specific (“tell-tale”) environmental impact, and more have varied so significantly over time, the cost and effort it would take to create profitable forgeries cost/effort prohibitive. Still, there are exceptions – and being “in the know” can save one from being duped out of their hard-earned savings.
The issue-specific attributes which help to distinguish a reprint from an authentic issue would fill a book to rival Tolstoy’s War and Peace – making an attempt to do so within a single post absurd. However, over the past decade we have created over a dozen posts in an effort to cover as much as possible – specifically targeting the most common. Hopefully you will find them helpful:
POSTS REGARDING COMMON REPRINTS
All kidding aside, April Fools’ Day has an origin story…
April 1, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
You may love it or hate it, but by the end of every 1st of April you likely have been “pranked”. During my years of teaching 7th-9th graders, rather than dread the endless attempts to fool me, I made it my quest to laugh when I fell victim to their practical jokes… and to one-up-them before the bell signaling it was time for them to move on to their next “suspecting” victim tolled. I can’t say I always won the day, but when it came to working with 13-15 year-olds, laughter really was good medicine.
This point was often driven home by midday as those who had not embraced a more jovial attitude toward, or appreciation for, their student’s amazing creativity, whined and fussed and wondered aloud: “Who in the world ever thought this was a good idea?”
Note: Their actual comments were a little more graphic, but we endeavor to keep this space family friendly.
Sadly, time would show a direct correlation between those who stood their stoic ground and those who filed for early retirement. Good people – poor career choice.
Those days are long past, but as I was contemplating this “unofficial” holiday, I reflected back upon their angst and wondered if there was in fact a source responsible for their great displeasure. Thanks to the wonderful search engine hosted by The New York Times, I was able to find a few clues in an article they published on April 2, 1871 – which is shown in its entirety below. Please enjoy.
Announcing: Catalog #341 for April, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
March 29, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The April catalog (#341) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
Who’s Who in Newspapers? Pamela Sparhawk edition…
March 22, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The 7th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers:
Thanks to Swann Auction Galleries, we discovered another fascinating but unheralded name which appeared in three 1817 issues of the Columbian Centinel (see a photo of the notice below). Swann staff provided the following background:
Pamela Sparhawk was born circa 1761 in Africa, was captured as a young girl and brought to Boston in slavery and was granted her freedom during the American Revolution. She had been separated from her brother by her original owner, but miraculously reconnected with him in Boston, where he owned property and was living under the name Samuel Bean. When Samuel died in 1816, Pamela petitioned the court to be recognized as his heir. Her petition ran three times in the Columbian Centinel newspaper, telling the story of her life: “Pamela Sparhawk of Boston . . . is a native of Africa, and was brought from thence to the West-Indies by a slave trader . . . and was a slave in the family of Rev. Mr. Merriam, of Newton, until the American Revolution. . . Samuel Bean acknowledged her to be his sister and was satisfied of the fact, but it would be difficult if not impossible for her in a court of law to establish her claim . . . in consequence of the unhappy circumstance, which will be easily perceived.” The notices were signed in type with her mark, a sideways capital “X.” The statement was witnessed by Congressman Timothy Fuller (father of the important feminist author Margaret Fuller), but it apparently went unheeded by the General Court.
Pamela Sparhawk’s life has recently been reconstructed and celebrated by the Historic Newton organization in an online exhibition, “Finding Pamela: Writing a New History,” and was described in the Boston Globe on 30 June 2021.
The link to the auction (which at the time of this post was still in the future) is:
SWANN Auction #2663 – The petition of formerly enslaved woman Pamela Sparhawk
Thankfully we had an issue with this coverage as well, but the greatest gain was the research which Swann’s offering inspired. In less than 15 minutes we were able to locate *background information on Pamela which we found qui te interesting.
If you’re curiosity has been piqued to the point where you decide to discover more about her through the following link, please note the additional related information shown below the heading: “Who was Pamela Sparhawk?” Enjoy.
FINDING PAMELA
March, 2024 Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
March 15, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Welcome to the March Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. In addition to the ongoing monthly features (Newly added catalog items, this month’s discounted newspapers, links to recent posts, etc.) we also have two “fun” items:
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Dramatic Headlines Speak for Themselves… Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated!
March 11, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, April 5, 1968, which featured a report on the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:
“DR. KING IS SHOT TO DEATH”
This Month in History – March…
March 8, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When considering the month of March what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:
- the “Articles of Confederation” was ratified
- the Lindberg baby was kidnapped
- FDR gave his “Fear Itself” speech
- the famous Woman’s Suffrage March took place in Washington, D.C.
the Philippines gained independence- the Peace Corps was established
- Ulysses S. Grant became the commander of the Union armies
- Albert Einstein , David Livingston, and Wyatt Earp (among a long list of others) were born
- the Boston Massacre occurred
- the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by the Senate
- the Spanish Flu struck America
- Patrick Henry declared: “…give me liberty, or give me death!”
- the War in Iraq began
- the “Camp David Accord” was signed by Menachem Begin & Anwar Sadat
- the death of Isaac Newton
- Churchill gave his “Iron Curtain” speech
- the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was founded
- the Soviet Republic of Georgia declared their independence
Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.
The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.
