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Americana at it’s best… The annual Egg Roll on the lawn of The White House…
April 20, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
I apologize upfront for the fact that so many of my posts lean heavily on nostalgia. Truth be told, I often have to apologize to my kids for how quickly I tear up when I think of the past. Keeping my soft pot for the “good” of the past in mind, it will come as no surprise that I chose the following issue for today’s installment.
The FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED for April 23, 1887 featured a delightful full-page illustration of the annual White House Egg Roll. Whoever the artist was (it was described as being from a “staff artist”), they perfectly captured the best of America in all its innocence and deep-felt sense of community. American traditions are part of our core essence as a unified people and they build bonds between us which help us stand firm during the hardships of life. Keep in mind, as Spring and Summer arrive, we are about to be flooded with National Holidays drenched with American traditions. Especially during the upcoming year, in light of our nation’s 250th birthday, may we all pause to appreciate the small but powerful traditions which help define us as Americans.
PS “Red and yellow back and white”… playing out in 1887 🙂
PPS As much as I get weepy when thinking about the past, I do find myself very misty-eyed at what I see and experience in my present as well. Perhaps I’m just a softie?!!
A Fly on the Wall… Ben Franklin at the Printing Press…
March 21, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
This post continues the series… “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall.”
My husband, Guy, is in the middle of reading the book “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson. Fortunately for me, each morning over coffee, he loves to share the latest adventures of Ben Franklin – from childhood to Founding Father. His creativity, resourcefulness and brilliance which was present from a young age is inspiring, and watching Franklin mature as the pages turn is a delight.
While I am sure any moment in Ben Franklin’s life is worthy of an, “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall” moment, today, a particular one came to mind which ironically involved newspapers:
THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE, Philadelphia, July 19, 1753 is a highly sought after collectible issue regardless of the printer; however, the addition of “Printed by B. FRANKLIN, Post-Master, and D. HALL at the New Printing Office, near the Market” on the back of the newspaper (*when present) makes it even more so. I can just imagine Franklin pouring over his printing press – ruminating over a plethora of ideas for clever articles, puzzles, and tidbits of world-altering wisdom, and then watching some burst forth onto the pages of what was undoubtedly the most popular newspaper of the day, and the 2nd-most sought after publication (his Poor Richard’s Almanac claimed the top spot for a number of years). The image this solicits in my mind certainly leads me to include his “Franklin imprint” in the “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall” category. 
* His imprint, whether it was just his name or included D. Hall’s (depending upon the ownership status of the publication), was always printed at the bottom of the back page. Unfortunately, some issues tacked on an extra advertising leaf in which it was printed, and most of these were handled in the same manner as the advertising inserts of today. They were read and then thrown away. Thankfully, although increasingly rare, some of the issues containing these desirable imprints can still be found.
FACT OR FICTION? St. Patrick Drives Snakes Out of Ireland…
March 17, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Myth & lore are always fascinating and are usually some combination of fact & fiction. St. Patrick’s story certainly falls into this category. Did he in really drive all snakes out of Ireland? Were there even snakes in Ireland to be driven out? Were these metaphoric serpents? Did he instead drive out cults who worshiped snakes? So many questions with no tangible evidence for answers; however, as with most lore, the essence is often true: He was a bold man bravely standing against evil in an area of the World which desperately needed light. Whatever your thoughts of St. Patrick and his story might be, perhaps this St. Patrick’s Day we can all celebrate the themes of “good over evil” and bravely taking a stand. Now those are ideas I can raise a pint to. Enjoy the following full-page print which was found in a Chicago Sunday Tribune from 1935:
Setting the Mood – Music Content in Newspapers…
February 21, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
We often receive calls from collectors requesting an issue with content concerning an individual musician or group. Without a doubt, as the search of our data base begins, so does the artist’s/group’s “top 10 songs list” on my Spotify account… most definitely if the genre is Jazz. After all, who doesn’t want to be transported to a dimly lit scat club in the middle of the workday? Such was the case the afternoon a request came for a newspaper with coverage of the death of jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. As I type this post, his version of “Love is Here to Stay” is quietly playing in our Rare Newspapers office. While the LOS ANGELES TIMES, from Dec. 25, 2007 was quickly snapped up, we do have an additional copy for anyone interested in this master of “setting the mood”. If Jazz isn’t your thing, I am sure we have a newspaper with content from almost any artist and genre you can imagine. While you are pondering what your favorite might be, why not give Oscar Peterson a listen. You won’t be disappointed!
Celebrating Our History – Washington’s Birthday…
February 17, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
On a chilling February day during the Revolutionary War, the battle stopped long enough for Martha Washington and General Washington’s men to serenade him on his birthday. Although he would not become president for many years to come, no one can argue this was a (ok, an) historic celebration of Washington’s birthday. [Note: From this point on varying states did celebrate Washington’s birthday to honor our 1st Commander and Chief, however, Congress didn’t solidify this as a national holiday until 1879, and it wasn’t until 1885 the observance was extended to provide a day off for Federal workers (i.e., when it became a Federal Holiday). Many decades later Washington’s Birthday was combined with Lincoln’s to create what we now observe as President’s Day.
On February 20, 1885, THE NEW YORK TIMES had an interesting article noting that local Assemblymen had requested 3 1/2 days off to fully recover from the festivities. Perhaps it was this mindset which later caused the Federal Government to permanently link some holidays to a weekend, therefore allowing for plenty of time for all citizens to recover from the revelry and other raucous activities which are commonplace with such celebrations.
Confession: To-date I have yet to wake-up the morning after President’s Day with bloodshot eyes. It appears I need to up my celebratory game.
A Time of Transition… Washington’s Funeral…
January 20, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
As I sit down to write this post, I wonder if there has ever been the death of a former president within 2 weeks of the inauguration of another. It is a lot of change for a country to lay to rest a former president (President Carter) while welcoming in a new leader (President Trump), however, it must have been significantly more unsettling for a nation to put to rest their 1st president. His legacy and wisdom were now gone from public discourse and there was still so much to be done. The blend of sadness and uncertainty must have been quite unsettling – yet, the nation moved forward.
We are now entering our own days of transition with hope that the upcoming weeks may not be days of tumult and that our new leaders will guide our nation with the same steady hand and heart General George Washington demonstrated during the early, formative, first-steps-era in our nation’s history. My prayer is that they look for wisdom and guidance from the same Source General Washington did so that 225 years from now, their life stories are also shared with pride and provide inspiration.
Let Freedom Ring. . . The Emancipation Proclamation …
January 13, 2025 by Laura Heilenman · 2 Comments
Free Speech, whether in verbal or written form is the underpinning of our union and the lifeblood of our republic … a gift to humanity and while all speech should be protected, there is something particularly irresistible about some words. Poetry can offer a respite for the soul while lyrics coupled with melody can cause the spirit to soar. Similarly, words of freedom spoken by someone who has the power to bring them to pass ushers in hope and therefore courage for a new day.
Such is the case with The Emancipation Proclamation. . . speech breaking chains, setting captives free and restoring hope to the human soul. For this reason, when we have the opportunity to see these words in print, we are witnessing a powerful moment for good in our country’s (albeit imperfect) varied history. While taking decades longer than we may have wished for, the power of this pivotal moment should not be lost on America’s people; but rather, give us courage and boldness to guard its foundational gift.
PS Thanks goes out to our friends in Great Britain for helping to pave the way.
A New Era Captured in Story…
December 31, 2024 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
New Year’s Eve morning at the Rare & Early Newspapers’ archives was busy, but I did find a moment to clean up some issues in the ever-growing pile of “my favorite things”. As I progressed through the task at hand, I discovered the issue shown below and simply had to share it as it is a great reminder of how January 1st isn’t the only day to usher in a new era. Out of the ashes of the Civil War, Joel Chandler Harris captured the moment with whimsical stories gathered from black men and women who were piecing together their own America-rooted culture in the newfound light of freedom. Many years later, these stories were featured in movie & song so a whole new generation could appreciate the wisdom shared by those who had intimately experienced so much hardship decades earlier. Now we can hold tightly to the example of all the brave, overcoming souls who helped our country press forward at one of its most pivotal moments, and we can enter 2025 with boldness, hope and compassion. Happy New Year to everyone from those of us at Rare Early Newspapers. May your step into the new era of 2025 be smooth sailing. 
The More They Things Change, The More They Stay The Same…
December 25, 2024 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
I must admit, these days I am hoping Alphonse Karr’s famous quote, “The more things change, the more they are the same,” is in fact true. As we enter into the “Holiday Season”, those sweet memories of family Thanksgivings and Christmas throughout the years, are an anchor for the soul and truly priceless. We all have our own traditions… some commonly shared while others are unique to our tribe. One of my fondest Thanksgiving Day memories is of my middle sister Teena rounding up the troops for us all to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together and of her husband correcting everyone when they called it the Macy’s Day Parade 🙂 Truth be told, we all began to do it more on purpose for the sake of amusement. This New York Post from November 24, 1948, gives all the feel of an old time Thanksgiving Day and solidifies the necessity of holding on to the deep heart things of the past. Feel free to share the traditions in your memory that bring that same family warmth in our comments section… after all some of the rest of us may be looking for a little something new to add to our holiday celebrations while still holding tightly to the precious anchors our families have created.
Christmas Captured in an Image…
December 23, 2024 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Christmas may bring more nostalgia than any other time of year… Snow lined roads, bells ringing outside the local Walmart, candlelight services at a local church, houses crowded with full-sized evergreen trees , Presents under those trees and plates of cookies cooling on the kitchen counter, family, friends and loved ones lingering for one more glass of wine or eggnog before bundling up to take the long way home so they can see extra lights strewn across neighbor’s yards. The list could be endless and often unique to each person… some of us include memories of faith while others do not. Whatever your paradigm of Christmas, there is an image which will capture all the feels perfectly and so, I have included some of these delightful depictions from our newspapers for you to enjoy. So, from our RareNewspapers Family to yours:
Merry Christmas to ALL …
and to ALL a Goodnight !
