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The Lure of Swashbucklers…
June 6, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Nothing grabs the public’s attention quite like stories of pirates, whether they be historical accounts of actual people or stories of those who play a pirate on the big screen. Of all the legends both real and created, none can surpass the real-life drama of Captain Kidd. Scottish born in 1645, he grew to be both pirate and privateer – the distinction fueled by the encounters he had with those who crossed his path. In the end, betrayed by the governor of New York, as reported in The London Gazette, May 26, 1701, he was hung twice by the neck until dead.
A President’s Call for Sacrifice…
June 3, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
I am sure a quick perusal of American history would yield an abundance of occasions in which a President called for American citizens to tighten their belts, rise to the challenge, or sacrifice for the greater good. We certainly hear those sentiments often enough today. So, you can imagine how the following headline in a May 25, 1961 issue of the LEOMINSTER DAILY ENTERPRISE caught my attention. In this case, President Kennedy was casting a vision for the stars and America’s hope to send a man to the moon before 1970. We were sold and tightened our belts to rise to this other worldly challenge. This Space Race caught our imaginations and propelled us to the front of the line. If only all challenges were this exceptional and easy to embrace.
Popular Categories – A Deeper Dive into the Legacies of U.S. Presidents…
May 9, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Most people have their favorite President of the United States. I’m sure if we each came up with our short list of five favorites there would be considerable overlap. Washington, Lincoln, Ronald Regan or Barack Obama (depending on which side of the isle the person resides), etc. – each president, popular or otherwise, has their own fascinating history which often includes failure, success, and often a few quirky tidbits of fun facts. The wonderful thing about original newspapers is they give collectors the ability to dig into the more obscure details of the lives and legacies of each of these once-upon-a-time “leaders of the free world”. In fact, newspapers containing such mentions are so sought after, we have a dedicated link on our website to help with the exploration: Presidents (U.S.)
As I began perusing collectible issues related to this post my attention aroused by an interesting story regarding our 37th president, Richard Nixon. To counter-act the ever-growing tension which plagued the latter years of his administration – both Watergate and the “resignation” of his VP, Spiro Agnew, President Nixon nominated a replacement for Agnew whom he knew would be easily and quickly confirmed, but who also believed in his innocence in regard to Watergate – one who would likely pardon him if the need arose. President Gerald Ford, after taking the oath of office upon Nixon’s resignation, did in fact give him an unconditional pardon for any and all crimes he may have committed against the United States. Although this particular use of a Presidential pardon has only occurred once in U.S. History, now that the box has been opened, it likely won’t be the last.
Take a Closer Look … The Delicate Details of Woodcut Prints…
April 14, 2022 by LauraH · 1 Comment
I have had some fascinating conversations this past year with one of our collecting friends who is an expert in woodcut prints. I won’t be a name dropper, however, if he is reading this, he will have no doubt as to who I am referencing. I greatly appreciate the time he took to share his knowledge which has motivated me to pause and look more carefully at every print I encounter in the RareNewspapers archives. My proficiency in this area is sparse and not terribly reliable but I did want to share a few takeaways.
Some artists of woodcut prints would draw on paper and send the illustration to a publisher who would cut the paper into tiny square blocks and have each one sketched onto a square block of wood. These wooden squares would be handed out to different craftsmen who would carve their block and then the blocks would be rejoined for printing. Sometimes, when time was of the essence, each craftsman would use carving tools which could create many tiny lines at once. If you look closely at many such illustrations, you can tell these prints have hundreds of parallel lines – indicating the use of these tools. Occasionally, when more time was available, each line was formed individually – a painstaking process, but one which produced an almost unimaginable degree of detail!
Some artists preferred to draw their own prints directly onto the wood and so they were sent a group of one-inch square pieces bound together with twine. When the artist had finished their drawing, the publisher would untie the pieces and distribute the blocks to the woodcarvers.
Regardless of how each print was created, the detail, craftsmanship and artistic skill needed to produce one illustration is mind blowing. So, the next time you glance through a Harper’s Weekly, Leslie’s Illustrated , Illustrated London News, or handful of other illustrated titles of the “woodcut era”, perhaps you will join me in pausing and giving a bit of deference to these creators of beauty. Thanks Bill for sharing this delightful insight with me.
Insight into the mind of Tesla…
April 4, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
I am always dumfounded by the breadth of brilliance some well-known inventors of the past possessed. Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with the invention of the parachute, the barreled cannon, the Helical aerial screw, the winged flying machine, diving equipment & the self-propelled cart, also painted the Mona Lisa. How can one not stand in awe? Let’s face it, inventors are often trend setters who give the world around them inspiration as well as practical solutions for common problems.
On Oct. 14, 1893, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN featured an article by Nikola Tesla which caught my attention. We think of Tesla as one of the 2-3 most famous “explorers” who contributed to our current-day electrically powered world. However, in this article, he is using his study of the eye to further his insight into electrical currents. Below is a fitting quote from the article by this genius from the late 19th and early 20th centuries:
“The day when we shall know what ‘electricity’ is, will chronicle an event probably greater and more important than any other in the history of the human race.” Much ground has been covered in this regard since he made this statement, but most would agree we have yet to arrive.
Here’s Hoping History Doesn’t Repeat Itself… 1693…
March 28, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
They say those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I’m pretty sure they only break out that proverb when discussing something horrific. So it is with The Salem Witch Trials. On February 7, 1693, THE ATHENIAN MERCURY out of London advertised the book: “The Second Edition of the late TRYALS of several WITCHES in New-England. Written by Cotton Mather”. The ad was “Published by the Special Command of the Governor”. Perhaps he wanted to make sure the readers were not doomed…
The End of Something Bad… The Kickoff to Something Good…
March 24, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
In the moment, we are often oblivious to the long-term impact significant newsworthy announcements will have as time goes on. “Henry Ford has made a car nearly anyone can afford” – eventually smog make city -living unbearable and the ozone takes a beating. “Computers can be made both inexpensively and small enough for daily use at home” – pornography spreads like wildfire. “A new substance called ‘plastic’ will revolutionize our lives” – our landfills overflow and our oceans are overcome with garbage which will take many lifetimes to decompose (if ever). However, not all unexpected “consequences” are bad.
The announcement on May 8, 1945 that the war with Germany was over (aka, V-E Day), wildly celebrated throughout much of the World, was such a case in point. Amidst all the exuberance, most people were probably not cognizant of the marvelous “consequences” which would arrive within a year’s time. Introducing: “The Baby Boomers – 1946 Edition!” Here, have a cigar.
The front page of this issue of THE MORNING CALL (Patterson, NJ) is one of the many reports which helped inspire the creation of an entire generation.
President George Washington: “Et tu, John Adams?”…
March 14, 2022 by LauraH · 1 Comment
Living in the twenty-first century we have seen our share of division… in politics, in culture, sometimes in families. While the era in which we live is not the only time in American history when great division was prevalent, living through it can certainly make person-to-person interactions extremely stressful. With this as the backdrop…
While looking through a NATIONAL GAZETTE for Feb. 20, 1793, I was struck by the following: “On Wednesday last [the 13th] both houses of Congress met in Convention in the senate chamber, when the certificates from the executives of the several states were read containing lists of the Electors’ votes for President and Vice President—The aggregate of the votes for George Washington was 132 for President of the United States–77 for John Adams as Vice President–50–for George Clinton, ditto–4 for T. Jefferson–and 1 for Aaron Burr–George Washington was then declared President of the United States by a unanimous vote, for 4 years from the 4th of March 1793; and John Adams, Vice President for the same period, by a majority of votes.” Perhaps you would agree with me that a snowball would have a better chance of surviving during a heat wave than a President of today with a VP who was the losing Presidential candidate from an opposing party.
Old Newspapers – Music to My Ears…
February 21, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
From my earliest memories I can picture an original (
“improved”) Edison Phonograph gracing my family home. My parents loved antiques, and at some point, along their collecting journey, they had stumbled upon this gem. Recently, while downsizing, this vintage treasure was sold to a collector in Australia who was beyond excited. As you can imagine, my parents’ “investment in history” did quite well. While I am sorry to see it go, I’m glad it found a home with someone who will delight in its presence as much as I did.
This walk down childhood lane was triggered while I was viewing one of our old listings of a SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN for Feb. 27, 1909. It sure made me smile as it warmed my heart. These old newspapers are wonderful storytellers and memory joggers, never ceasing to delight.
Sometimes We Miss It – Isidor Louis… 1870’s San Diego…
February 7, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
After 47 years as both a collector and reseller of “Rare & Early” newspapers, you can imagine we have unearthed a ton of historical content. However, Every now and then we are reminded that, “Sometimes we miss it”. Today a customer called after purchasing an issue of The San Diego Union to let us know he found a fascinating ad on the front page of his issue. For those who love 19th century California history, there was an early citizen of Jewish descent who had an enormous entrepreneur’s spirit. Isidor Louis had many irons in the fire and was advertising one of his first ventures on the frontpage of the newspaper. Interestingly, his son later became the city editor for the San Diego Sun. Have we piqued your interest? Do a little investigating of Isidor for yourself. Are you wondering how we had an image of the ad after we had already sold the paper? Perhaps we have uncovered others. As a lesson learned, it always pays to read the fine print … in case we missed it.