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Collecting Historic and Rare Newspapers Basics – Part One
August 2, 2010 by GuyHeilenman · 14 Comments
The following guide is posted on History’s Newsstand’s eBay Store. It is the first part of a primer on collecting Rare & Early Newspapers:
The purpose of this guide concerning historic, original, collectible and/or rare newspapers is to answer the three most common questions related to the hobby: How you can determine if an issue is authentic, the meaning of commonly used terms related to the hobby, and why the original issues do not just fall apart.
How Can You Determine If An Issue Is Authentic?
It was not unusual for newspapers to celebrate the anniversary of an historic event or their inaugural issue by reprinting that issue for their subscribers or the general public. Never meant to deceive, through the years such issues were tucked away in attics and dresser drawers as interesting souvenirs only to be uncovered by distant relatives convinced they found the genuine item.
Although only an expert examination can definitively qualify a newspaper as genuine or a reprint and such experts with sufficient knowledge & experience are few & far between, there are a few clues which can guide a novice in making a determination:
* Does the newsprint match that used at that time? Genuine pre-1880 newsprint usually has a high rag content and is very pliable, sturdy & reasonably white. Most reprints in the post-1880 era are more browned, fragile and lacking in physical substance.
* Does the issue contain an historic or significant report? Many reprints contain very historic reports rather than mundane news of the day, and such genuine issues are rarely found randomly outside of a larger collection.
* Is the issue a volume one, number one issue? They were commonly reprinted on anniversary dates.
* Does the format, content or any extraneous printing on the issue appear out of the ordinary? Many reprints were used for promotional purposes and altered to serve another purpose beyond just reprinting a genuine newspaper.
Reprint, fake, or facsimile newspapers are a rarity in this hobby with the vast majority of such issues limited to less than 20 titles. The Library of Congress maintains a check-list of points to look for on most of these issues and can be accessed through their website.
What Are The Most Frequently Used Terms & What Do They Mean?
* Octavo (8vo): Approximately 8 1/2 by 5 inches. Popular size for 18th Century magazines.
* Quarto (4to): Approximately 12 by 9 inches. Common size for many early newspapers.
* Folio: Full size. Eighteenth century issues are approximately 17 by 11 inches, while 19th century issues come closer to present day newspapers.
* Foxing: Dark spots due to age, chemical content of the paper, or storage environment.
* dblpgctrfld: Doublepage centerfold. A print, typical in Harper’s Weekly, which stretches across two pages.
Why Do The Issues Simply Not Fall Apart?
To the surprise of many, newspapers published before 1880 remain in very nice condition as the paper had high cotton and linen content. Most issues from the 1600’s and 1700’s are in much better condition than issues from World War I, hence little care is needed for issues over 120 years old.
(Note) Invitation: In order to provide an ongoing resource for newcomers to the hobby, feel free to add additional insight which you feel might be beneficial to those entering the hobby on the ground floor. Our hope will be to include many of these comments within a future post. Thanks in advance for your contributions.
The first newspapers in Mississippi…
July 8, 2010 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
Even before the Mississippi Territory was made whole in 1804 (or nearly so; a small portion was annexed in 1812), a printing press was moved into Natchez at the request of the newly appointed governor in order to: “…diffuse a knowledge of the laws and other useful matters…”. Documentation gives evidence that Benjamin Stokes: “…commenced in Natchez, and continued some time, the ‘Mississippi Gazette’…This was some time in the summer of 1799, but he soon failed…”. But the earliest issue located is dated Oct. 13, 1801, vol. 2, no. 7, which would carry the date of establishment back to September, 1800. At the time the population of the entire Mississippi Territory was just 7600. The paper was discontinued on Dec. 1, 1801.
Another title, the “Intelligencer“, begin in Natchez on Aug. 11, 1801 judging from the date of the earliest issue located. This publication failed to last through the year, ending publication on Dec. 8, 1801. The next several papers also published in Natchez, with the “Mississippi Herald” beginning July 27, 1802 (ended in 1807); the “Constitutional Conservator” beginning in Oct., 1802 but only one issue has been located, that of April 16, 1803; the “Mississippi Messenger” beginning Sept. 7, 1804 (ended in 1808) and the “Natchez “Gazette” beginning on Jan. 7, 1808 (ended on Nov. 16, 1808).
Each of these titles, and others from the early period of the 19th century, were established before statehood was granted in 1817.
First newspapers in Massachusetts…
May 31, 2010 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
It would be of no surprise that Massachusetts has the longest history of newspaper publishing anywhere in the colonies. The very first printing press in the colonies was set up there, and by 1690 a newspaper was published in Boston, “Public Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick”, but lasting but a single issue. In November of 2008 I did a post specifically on this title so I won’t dwell on this effort other than to say that it lasted but a single issue before being suppressed.
It was not for another fourteen years that Bartholomew Green, of the very famous Green family of printers, had the honor of printing the first newspaper to be permanently established in the colonies, the Boston “News-Letter“. Green published it for the owner, John Campbell, for 18 years and when Campbell retired Green & his successors continued the publication until the evacuation of Boston 1776, at which point the newspaper ceased.
The third newspaper in Massachusetts, also in Boston, was the famed “Boston Gazette“, printed for owner William Brooker by James Franklin, elder brother to Benjamin. This newspaper started on Dec. 21, 1719 and when sold James Franklin decided to begin a newspaper of his own. The “New-England Courant” began Aug. 7,1721 and it was on this project that Benjamin Franklin gained his apprenticeship as a printer. He would then move to Philadelphia, buy the Pennsylvania Gazette, and the rest is, well, history.
So it was that the first three newspapers in the American colonies were all published in Boston, although it was a close call. The first newspaper outside of Boston, the “American Weekly Mercury“, began in Philadelphia on Dec. 22, 1719, just one day after the “Boston Gazette“.
Digital newspaper archives…
May 27, 2010 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Many collectors of historic newspapers often collect issues based upon desired content. If the content is relatively common or is within a clearly defined (and small) time frame, finding issues to collect may not be too difficult. However, if the desired content appeared within issues only occasionally and/or over large spans of time, finding desired issues can be quite difficult. For example, if someone is looking for issues with Moon landing content, since the dates are precise, the task of location issues can be easy. In contrast, if what is being collected are pre-1800 mentions of Georgia, the task can be quite daunting.
However, with the continued growth of the internet also comes ever increasing access to digital archives of newspapers from throughout the world. While some are only available for a fee, the quantity of free archives continues to soar. Wikipedia has begun to assemble a list of both types. It can be viewed at:
Wikipedia: List of online newspaper archives
Values for first section only newspapers…
May 20, 2010 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
Fellow collector Morris Brill asks a question which may be on many collectors’ minds:
“If a collector has only the first section of a newspaper containing the reporting of the entire historic event how much is the monetary and collector value depreciated because the entire paper is not available? Is it worthwhile to collect a ‘first section’ only newspaper?”
In my opinion, there is not much decrease in value for not having the entire newspaper if the complete report of the “event” is contained within the first section. Some newspapers–particularly Sunday editions–can be extremely bulky with nothing but superfluous material, so it is not surprising that, in many cases, only first sections were saved.
Some purists might disagree, but rarely do we get requests from collectors wanting only complete newspapers. Many “first section only” issues of 20th century events will be found on our website, and I tend to price such at 80% to 90% of the value of a complete newspaper.
In some cases it can be difficult to tell if the complete issue is present. Some newspapers note the number of pages in the dateline, and others might mention the number of sections. Where neither exist I look for a table of content to see if there are reports on pages beyond what are present. If I have no way of determining, and I am unsure of the issue is complete, I tend to note within the description something like “…presumed complete in 24 pages…” just in case it could be proven to me otherwise.
I need more than just the headline…
May 10, 2010 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
We get many emails and phone calls requesting values of newspapers found in attics, given by friends, or purchased at a yard sale, etc. We try to be as helpful as possible and ask for photos if they use email. This almost comical photo came in the other day–apparently with the thought that the headline was all we needed to see to determine a value. As you might imagine, we need to see more…..
Rare Newspapers – distracting?
May 6, 2010 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
One of the most common questions our Rare Newspapers’ staff is asked is, “How do you ever get anything done? Don’t you get distracted by the interesting content within the issues?” The answer is an enthusiastic, “YES!” One of the most enjoyable aspects of our daily interaction with early newspapers are these very “distractions”. Hardly a day goes by where we aren’t fascinated by or engaged in conversation resulting from the content within the issues we find.
One such discussion (distraction) was recently inspired by an issue of the Omaha Daily Bee dated June 28, 1919, which originally caught our attention because of its dramatic WWI headline, “PEACE TREATY SIGNED”, with a corresponding subhead, “China Alone Refuses To Sign Covenant That Ends Greatest War in History”. However, what caused our “distraction” was the front page text (shown in the image) regarding the “World’s Ten Greatest Peace Treaties“. Although this issue is no longer available, it can be viewed at: http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/570082?acl=781584385. Much has occurred since the early 20th century. We wonder what such a list might include if it were printed on the front page of a tomorrow’s newspaper?
Resources of collectors…
April 29, 2010 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the rare newspaper hobby concerns available resources. Awhile back we posted a general response to this on eBay titled, “What Resources are Available for Newspaper Collectors?”. Although we’ll continue to look at this question in detail, we thought newcomers might appreciate a general overview. An excerpt of this post is as follows:
1) Price Guide For Rare & Historic Newspapers?
2) Storage & Display Options For Colonial, Civil War & 20th Century Newspapers?
3) Reference Books On The History Of Old Newspapers?
4) A Club Of Collectors Of Old Newspapers?
Collecting rare & early newspapers from the colonial era through the Civil War & 20th century is a fun & fascinating hobby, but questions often arise: Is their a price guide, or a club of collectors? What storage & display options are recommended for the old newspaper hobbyist? How about reference material on the hobby?
1) Being a relatively unknown hobby has its advantages…
To view the entire post, please go to: “What Resources are Available for Newspaper Collectors?“
First newspapers in Maine…
April 26, 2010 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
It may be a surprise to some that Maine did not become a state until 1820, much later than most of the other New England states which were among the original thirteen colonies. It was a part of Massachusetts in the 18th century and figured in the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, balanced by Maine as a free state.
Benjamin Titcomb, a native of Maine, was the first printer in the state and joining with Thomas Wait started the “Gazette and Weekly Advertiser” in Falmouth (now Portland) on January 1, 1785. But just a year later Titcomb left the newspaper and Wait changed the newspaper’s name to the “Cumberland Gazette“, Cumberland being the name of the county in which Falmouth was located. It changed names again six years later to the “Eastern Herald“.
Titcomb’s son, Benjamin Titcomb, Jr., started Maine’s second newspaper on Oct. 8, 1790, called the “Gazette of Maine” and six years later these first two newspapers would be combined to be the “Eastern Herald and Gazette of Maine“.
The other 18th century newspapers published in present-day Maine were the “Eastern Star” in Hallowell. 1794, the “Tocsin” also in Hallowell, 1795, the “Kennebec Intelligencer” in Augusta (then called Harrington) 1795, the “Wiscasset Telegraph” in 1796, “The Gazette” in in Portland, 1798, the “Wiscasset Argus” in 1797, the “Oriental Trumpet” of Portland, 1798, and the “Castine Journal” on Jan. 2, 1799. Many of these titles had a very short life.
The value of a newspaper… impacted by content…
April 12, 2010 by GuyHeilenman · 7 Comments
One of the common questions received at Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers is “What elements are involved in determining the collectible value of a newspaper?” Several posts on this subject may be viewed at: “Determining the Value of an Historic Newspaper“. Two of the elements which drive the collectible value of a paper are content and age. For example, the $0.50-$1.00 newsstand price of a Washington Post, USA Today, or Chicago Tribune with the 1st report on the election of President Obama quickly rose to $35 a month (and higher) after the event (content), and will likely be valued at many times this amount in 20+ years (age).
In contrast, we recently came across a newspaper whose value increased by more than 700% (due to content – a photo) before the end of the day of its initial printing. Our find… the May 1, 1945 Mediterranean edition of Stars and Stripes. The front cover printed the famous photo of Benito Mussolini shown after his execution. In an effort to show a little discretion, the photo is not shown within this post, but may be viewed at: http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/568477?acl=779383924
Although there have been times when the collectible value of a newspaper increased by the following day, we’d love to know of other pre-2000 events which resulted in an increase in the value of the newspaper on the same day the issue hit the newsstands. If you know of any, feel free to share with the collectible community.