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Timothy Hughes – sharing his passion for collecting historical newspapers…
October 10, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Tim Hughes has had multiple opportunities to speak about his love for Rare & Early Newspapers. Whether it has been in front of teenagers in Pennsylvania or adults in California, it is especially rewarding when he shares his hobby to those from his own town. He recently had the privilege to do so at the local historical society (Thomas T. Taber Museum) in Williamsport, PA, which was reported in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Please enjoy:
The End of an Era at Rare & Early Newspapers… Thanks Mike!
September 29, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · 3 Comments
For nearly 20 years we were blessed to have Mike Hiller as an “active member” of our Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers family. His sense of humor delighted us daily, his attention to detail was second-to-none, and his work ethic and commitment to excellence were an inspiration to all who had the privilege of working with him. If you purchased a newspaper from us during his reign as “Warehouse Supervisor and Shipping Extraordinaire” you likely had a chance to see his handiwork. While he certainly made all of our lives easier, his greatest contribution was in his unofficial capacity as “Exemplary Role Model of Guy and Laura’s Children” – a task he took quite seriously. The top photo is of Mike taken on his last day of work, and the one shown below is of him with each of our kiddos – all who benefited from his example (he’s the one in the middle).
Mike,
We pray you and your wife will thoroughly enjoy this next chapter of your lives – the so-called “retired phase”. Thank you for being you.
With love and respect,
Guy & Laura Heilenman
Although we are saddened to see this era come to an end, we are grateful Mike has agreed to accept a new position: “Occasional ‘Special Projects’ Guru”. The Rare & Early Newspaper’s world is not ready to cut the ties that bind.
Today’s month and day through the eyes of Rare & Early Newspapers… 9/26 edition…
September 26, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Today I came across a previous post in which we showed the readers of the History’s Newsstand Blog how to use the Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers advanced search interface to explore available newspapers for any given day and month, which made me wonder which day on a calendar has had the most interesting news reports over time. Of course the answer would be quite subjective, but it did motivate me to run a search for today’s date:
The results were more varied (and interesting) than I was expecting. Feel free to try a date which has special meaning to you to see what you might find. If you are not sure how to do this, go to: Exploring “This Day in History” through Rare & Early Newspapers
If you discover a date which you find to be pregnant with interesting news, feel free to let me know at guy@rarenewspapers.com. Thanks.
Snapshot 1929… Homebuilding 101…
September 23, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
As of today, over 25% of my wife’s and my retirement savings have turned to dust. Ouch. Will our investments bounce back? Our 6 children and their families certainly hope so. Yes, times are tough, but are they any worse than during the height of the most recent pandemic… or the one from the early 1900’s? How about living during any of the multiple wars we’ve engaged in over the past 200+ years, during the Great Depression, or in and around some of the devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or wildfires which have taken countess lives or stripped the survivors of their worldly possessions? Do our current financial, social, and political difficulties hold a candle to any of these?
These ponderings are not meant to diminish the sorrow, sickness, and loss of life which has befallen us over the past few years, but we’ve also learned a ton: “Don’t sweat the small stuff?”, “What are truly the most important things to hold on to?”, “Life is precious.”, to name but a few. All of these fall under the umbrella of “Homebuilding 101”. The Author of wisdom once said, “Don’t build your house upon the sand!” This is not merely good advice, its words to live by.
Case in point…
In late October of 1929 the Stock Market crashed, and in an instant the foundation of many washed away in a torrent of bad news. For those who had built their house upon such fleeting sand as an investment portfolio, everything crumbled. Such was the case for James J. Riordan, a noteworthy investor and president of the County Trust Company of New York. His response to the crash was emblazoned on the front page of the Chicago Sunday Tribune (along with most other newspapers of the day) for all to see. Of course his reaction to the sudden loss of worldly possessions has been played out in similar fashion time-and-time again – a lesson for all of us to consider when we are seeking a foundation upon which to build our lives. 
They put it in print, 1947 – The day Roswell became a boldfaced destination on the map…
September 12, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
With few exceptions, the most collectible/desirable “1st reports” of most major events are found in newspapers printed the day after the event occurred. However, it is hard not to ponder what people were reading in the newspapers printed on the “day of” such events. The reality that most memorable events in history took place on days in which the average person woke up to an ordinary, typical, “same-ol-same ol” world, poured themselves a cup of coffee, and sat down to read the relatively uneventful news reports reporting on the events from the prior day. What were people reading on the day of Lincoln’s assassination… the bombing of Pearl Harbor… the “twin-towers” attack… the sinking of the Titanic… the Hindenburg explosion… the 1906 San Francisco earthquake/fire… the (atomic) bombing of Hiroshima? In nearly every instance the newspapers printed and read on the day of such events including nothing whatsoever related to what was to come a mere hours later. How could they?
It is this common-sense reality which made our recent discovery of the Chicago Daily Tribune printed on the day of the “Roswell Incident” rather intriguing. See for yourself:
An oddity from 1863 – The Battle of Gettysburg…
September 9, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I don’t know about you, but if my town was occupied by enemy troops and the battle was ragging all around me, I’m thinking I would likely take up arms and join my fellow compatriots – and a host of my neighbors would certainly do the same. So, when I recently saw the illustration of “John Burns, the only man in Gettysburg, PA, who fought at the battle” on the cover of the August 22, 1863 Harper’s Weekly, I was perplexed. I understand the majority of able-bodied men were likely off to war elsewhere, but to think no one was left to “defend the home-front” other than this one man is a bit confounding. The writer of the corresponding article also took note of this curiosity, and his comments are posted below.
This statement was written shortly after the battle, and often, as time goes on, new information is unearthed. With this in mind, if anyone has information which would refute this claim, please send us a note and we will update this post. Thanks in advance.
Announcing: Catalog #322 for September, 2022 – Rare & Early Newspapers for collectors…
September 2, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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September’s catalog (#322) is now available. Also shown below are links to a video featuring highlights from the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.
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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.]
Blockbuster Movie Ads at Their Best – Overview – Part II
August 29, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
It has been nearly a month since we posted: Blockbuster Movie Ads – Overview – Part 1
We had so much fun creating and sharing the video one of our staff thought it would be nice to offer a sequel. These authentic ads for the premiers of blockbuster movies stir memories of what we now view as simpler days. The fact that they come from a Los Angles newspaper – the home of Hollywood, make them even more desirable. This 2nd installment may be viewed at
Ads for the Premiers of Blockbuster Movies – Part II (view on YouTube or Facebook)
As mentioned previously, we add new listings on nearly a weekly basis. However, if you have a favorite movie for which you would like to see an ad from the week of its release, and cannot find it through the link, just send me a note (guy@rarenewspapers.com).
In the meantime, our active listings are found at: Blockbuster Movie Ads
A collectible few know exists… Rare & Early Newspapers…
August 26, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In the summer of 2020, a new staff member, Lyndsay Miller, joined the Rare & Early Newspapers family. Unlike most of us who are old dogs and are not on the cutting edge of social media (i.e., we have zero chance of becoming “influencers” – oh well), she walks a bit closer to the cutting edge. One day, soon after my wife (our office manager) and I returned from visiting family, I (accidentally) checked one of our social media accounts where I found Lyndsay had been secretly at work in our absence. The two videos she had created are shown below. Enjoy
https://www.tiktok.com/@historysnewsstand/video/7115109861498621227?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7063070103805888006
https://www.tiktok.com/@historysnewsstand/video/7099544529078062382?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7063070103805888006
Frederick Douglass – A true American hero…
August 15, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
I’m currently reading “The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass”, and I must say, although I have always appreciated his accomplishments and admired him for his perseverance and tenacity as he moved from slavery to freedom, and then on to being a passionate herald for the freedom and equal right of others, over the past few weeks my eyes have been opened to his astounding skills as both a writer and orator. The fact that his cause resonates deep within me makes this revelation even more satisfying.
The quote shown above is from the introduction penned by George L. Ruffin. I couldn’t help but smile upon reading his statement about the value of historic newspapers as primary source material. While I personally prefer the label “contextual-source material”, he certainly seems to grasp the point – and the fact that Douglass himself was a long-time publisher of what we now refer to as rare & early newspapers only adds to the statement’s relevance.
Considering much was also written about (and by) Frederick Douglass in the newspapers of his day, please forgive me if I indulge readers of this blog with related posts over the next few months. At my age, placing the quest to explore more about his life on the backburner would likely be tantamount to tossing it into the recycling bin. Therefore, there is no time like the present. Thanks in advance for your understanding. If anyone would like to contribute a post regarding his life and can tether it to a newspaper (or newspapers) from the past, please be in touch (guy@rarenewspapers.com).