They put it in print… the R.M.S. Carpathia…
February 22, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
On April 15, 1912, the R.M.S. Carpathia became the hero of the day by coming to the rescue of many of the survivors of the Titanic. For the next several stops it went is was met with cheering crowds of adoration. However, a mere half-dozen years later it met a German U-55 submarine, and it was not well-received. Three torpedoes later it joined the Titanic at the bottom of the sea. Sadly, unlike the Titanic, there were no survivors. How do we know? The July 20, 1918 Springfield Republican put it in print.

Snapshot 1936… It’s time to help the Jews…
February 15, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In the midst of rampant anti-Semitism, and just a few years prior to the start of the Holocaust, David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, made an impassioned plea for the world to come to the rescue of the Jewish People by providing them with the homeland they had been promised decades earlier. In his speech he reminded the world of how the Jews had come to the aid of England… and the United States… and Russia, and were now in need of a response in kind. Unfortunately his call to action fell on deaf ears and the impact of heads buried in the sand now stands as a black mark on the timeline of history. The following account of his appeal to the House of Commons was found in The Scranton Times dated June 10, 1936:
Announcing: Catalog #303 (for February, 2021) is now available…
February 11, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment

- Catalog 303 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 303 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
My collecting story… M.M. in Freeport, NY…
January 25, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020-2021.
I have always loved history from as far back as the 8th grade. My teacher started teaching us about Abraham Lincoln [during our unit on] the Civil War. Then one day I went to a garage sale [in upstate New York] with my brother. He knew I loved history, and he found an old school house picture of George Washington. So, I started reading about George Washington. Finally one day my friend called me and told me that he had a gift for me. When I got there he give me my gift – a November 23, 1963 New York Times. I couldn’t believe I was holding a newspaper older than me – and especially a newspaper on the assassination of JFK. From that point on I have never stopped buying [historic] newspapers. Thank you Rare & Early Newspapers for helping me have great collection of newspapers.
As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.
The January (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
January 15, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
Welcome to the September 2020 edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we’d like to bring your attention to the following:
An Expanded Set of Discounted Newspapers – 50% Off
New Items Added to January’s Catalog
Since Catalog 302 went to print we’ve added approximately 50 additional items. Some of the topics/issues include: a mid-1700’s map of Eastern Canada, Convicts shipped off to America and Oglethorpe before the founding Georgia in the same issue, several different rare Confederate newspapers, George Washington rejects an honor and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in the same American issue, a Philip Burke caricature of Donald Trump, and more.
Catalog 302
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See what’s happening on our social sites
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Snapshot 1863… A slave mother’s attempted escape…
January 11, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We recently discovered a heart wrenching account of a slave mother’s attempted escape with her child on an inside page of a New York Tribune dated January 29, 1863. Editorializing on my part will not do it justice. It is accounts like this one, which were part of everyday life for many who were living in bondage, is a continual reminder that I will never be able to comprehend what it’s like to walk in the tattered shoes of a slave.
Snapshot 1886… Mark Twain – yet another hidden gem…
January 7, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
This forum has often been used to highlight one of the unique benefits of the hobby of collecting Rare & Early newspapers – that is, collecting a newspaper for one purpose, only to later find a more precious item hidden within its pages. Such is the case with the Harper’s Weekly for September 29, 1866. For 40+ years we offered this issue with a spotlight on a variety of the interesting illustrations found within its 16 pages. However, we recently discovered yet another hidden gem: an article accompanying the popular print: “Burning of the California Clipper ‘Hornet'”. What’s so special about this uncredited article? It was written by Mark Twain – making it the first time an article written by him received national attention. What a find!
If you happen to be one of the lucky one’s to have purchased this issue without knowledge of the Mark Twain contribution, you now possess an issue of significantly greater notoriety (and therefore value) than what you previously had thought. Good for you.
Announcing: Catalog #302 (for January, 2021) is now available…
January 4, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment

- Catalog 302 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 302 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
As we close the door on 2020…
December 31, 2020 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Overall, 1923 was a pretty good year. However, even a decent year has its share of troubles. A few examples from 1923 include:
The Rosewood massacre, the eruption of Mount Etna, the unexpected death of the popular President Warren G. Harding, Gustav Stresemann being named Chancellor of Germany resulting in policies which led to hyperinflation crushing the German economy (paving the way for Hitler’s rise, the Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama killing an estimated 142,807 people, 640 structures a burned to the ground in Berkley (CA), Adolf Hitler is arrested for his leading role in the Beer Hall Putsch greatly increasing his popularity among those who want to see change, the Gleno Dam (in Italy) bursts killing hundreds, multiple competing factions in China align themselves with the Communist Party – greatly strengthening their influence – and eventual dominance, Prohibition reigns, the largest peace-time U.S. Naval disaster (to-date) occurs off the coast near Santa Barbara (the Honda Point disaster), and more. Although somewhat under the radar, a number of world events took place during 1923 which, upon looking in the rear view mirror, helped pave the way for Communism in China, Nazism in Germany, and the severely ramped up conflict in the Middle East.
Yes, even a good year can have its share of warts. AND then, there’s 2020… Was it worse than the years impacted by the Spanish Flu epidemic, WW1, WW2, any of the Great plagues, the death and destruction brought by Atilla the Hun – to name a few? This doesn’t diminish the impact of the pandemic which defined much of 2020; rather, it’s intention was to merely put it in perspective (if possible).
Speaking of perspective…
A few days ago the front page of a Rotogravure Section of a Detroit News for December 30, 1923 caught my eye. It was a great reminder that there are times when it’s simply best to look to the future with child-like faith. Happy New Year!
Snapshot 1977… The Original (?) Star Wars…
December 28, 2020 by GuyHeilenman · 4 Comments
As we were searching the Calendar section of a Los Angles Times, July 10, 1977 for a full-page ad for an upcoming ELP concert to be held at the Long Beach Arena, we came across another full-page ad for the newly released movie, “Star Wars”. While such ads are desirable when found in a Los Angeles Times (due to the Hollywood connection), what caught our attention was the text of the ad which, instead of just having “STAR WARS”, had “STAR WARS NOW”. Upon investigation we learned that the original STAR Wars was quickly edited soon after it was decided to convert the stand alone movie into a trilogy. Several fans of Star Wars had posted frustration in their inability to obtain the original-release version of the movie. This made me wonder if the odd title in the ad (“STAR WARS NOW”) is/was related to this change. If anyone has more information in regards to this version of the ad, we’d love to know (guy@rarenewspapers.com). Thanks.




