Search
The Rare & Early Newspapers Hobby
Receive the Newsletter
Buy Historic Newspapers
Sure it does…
December 10, 2009 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
I have always found it amusing to discover articles–particularly those with photos or illustrations–on “flying machines” from before the Wright brothers. In hindsight most of the contraptions are comical yet provide fun reading.
Here is one headed “A New Flying Machine That Flies” which appeared in “The Illustrated American” from New York, Sept. 9, 1898. It apparently was collapsible (to fit in garages?) and could be unfolded to look much like an overgrown bat with propellers. The article notes that: “…There are a large number of details that the inventor has kept strictly to himself…”, the biggest likely that it didn’t fly.
But the article closes with a very prophetic note: “…it has a 
military side. It is impossible to imagine without terror the day when these mechanical birds, these flying apparitions, will be able to rain upon armies, hostile towns & escalating parties most deadly and most destructive explosives…”.
Top ten: 16th and 17th centuries…
December 7, 2009 by TimHughes · 3 Comments
As Guy introduced a few days ago, we will use the Mondays of December to consider the top ten events to be found in newspapers for various periods of time. In a few cases the desired “event” is actually a specific newspaper.
Today we consider the 16th & 17th centuries, which is a bit difficult as the mere existence of newspapers–or even their predecessors: newsbooks–is limited. And all would be European, as no American newspapers existed in this time period (only exception noted below). Nonetheless I’ve created what I consider to be the top ten historical events or newspapers collectors would love to add to their collections.
I do offer apologies to our non-American friends as this list, and those to follow, have a decidedly American bias, primarily because the vast majority of those who purchase from us are American. But there are a few European events noted.
Here we go, beginning with number ten and ending with the most desired event or newspaper:
10) Coronation of William & Mary, 1689 (after all, they were the king & queen of colonial residents as well. Almost like a very early Presidential “inauguration”)
9) King Philip’s War, 1675-6 (America’s first war)
8.) William Penn’s charter for land in the New World, & his settlement there, 1682 (an issue of the London Gazette includes: “…Mr. Penn bound for Pennsylvania with a great many Quakers to settle there…”)
7) Capture of Capt. Kidd near Boston, 1699 (who wouldn’t want a period report of this very famous pirate)
6) Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588 (my one entry from the 16th century; available in period newsbooks)
4) The volume 1 number 1 issue of the Oxford Gazette, Nov. 16, 1665 (great to have the first issue of the world’s oldest continually published newspaper: become the London Gazette with issue #24)
3) Salem Witchcraft trials, 1692 (famous event, but try to find period reports of it!)
2) Settlement in the “New World” from 1607-1630 (from the very earliest period of European settlements in America, predating newspapers but newsbooks did exist)
1) Public Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick, Boston, Sept. 25, 1690 (America’s first newspaper. To this date only one issue has surfaced. Could there be another?)
Before the days of Rogaine…
December 5, 2009 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
This one speaks for itself:
Top 10 lists…
December 3, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Top 10 lists are always fun to consider. Their strength is in their ability to generate thought, reflection, and opinion. We all acknowledge that no two top ten lists are the same, and whereas going to experts in the field may add a certain level of credibility to a list, even an amateur/novice can bring food for thought to the discussion. Everyone has an opinion, and each and every opinion has some some value. In the end, the greatest benefit may well be in the journey traveled as we formulate and consider both our own views as well as the views of others.
It is with this in mind we plan to offer 4 top ten lists over the course of the next four Mondays. The focus will be on giving thought to the top ten most historic newspapers from each of the following eras: 17th century and earlier (12/7/2009), 18th century (12/14/2009), 19th century (12/21/2009), and 20th century & beyond (12/28/2009). In some cases we may choose a specific newspaper title (any date), realizing that having any issue of the title is of note. In other instances we may focus on a specific title and date of a newspaper – these being the “holy grails” of the hobby. Yet in other cases we’ll include a more general top ten entry, focusing on the event itself, acknowledging that finding any newspaper coverage of the event is noteworthy.
As we proceed through the month, we invite both reactions to our lists and the submission of your own “top tens”.
In an effort to help kick-start your walk into the past, we invite you to enjoy a recent post which appeared on OnLineSchool.net titled, “100 Great Moments in American History You Can Catch on YouTube”, by Amber Johnson: (http://onlineschool.net/2009/11/18/100-great-moments-in-american-history-you-can-catch-on-youtube/).
When the story is as good as the newspaper…
November 30, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Over the last 33 years we have come across newspapers in many different ways. Typically they have been mundane: auction sales or library deaccessionings can be a bit sterile of “excitement’ or intrigue. Some obtained from private holdings often have an interesting story behind them as to how they came into the owner’s possession.
One prized newspaper, now a part of our private collection, stands out as having a story behind it as interesting as the newspaper. It is the “Teheran Times” of November 5, 1979. Those who know their history will recall that November 4 was the day when Muslim students in Iran stormed the U.S. embassy in Teheran taking 66 American hostages.
It was on November 5 when long-time collector and friend Mort Bryer was returning from Europe and met a woman in the London airport who had just escaped from Iran. She was American but was married to an Iranian. Mort noted that she was visibly shaken as he spoke to her about what she went through. She felt she escaped death. Upon leaving she turned to Mort and said “would you like a souvenir” and gave him the newspaper. It was the “Teheran Times” with front page coverage of the embassy takeover, purchased by her in Teheran earlier that day as is typically done by travelers to pass the time on the plane.
Mort kept the newspaper since 1979 then gave it to me a dozen years later when I visited with him at his home. It remains in our private collection as a treasured piece, as much for the story of how it came to America as for the historic content in contains. It is currently on loan to the Newseum in Washington, D.C. where it is on display.
Does the phonograph have a future?
November 28, 2009 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
The piece shown is from “The Alaskan” newspaper of Sitka, dated March 20, 1886. It’s an interesting commentary on a problem with Thomas Edison perfecting his new photograph.
Lincoln establishes a national Thanksgiving Day…
November 26, 2009 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
Appropriate for this day we show photos of the official Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln establishing the “…last Thursday in November…” as a day of Thanksgiving.
In the midst of the Civil War and with the troubles the nation was facing, he thought it appropriate that: “…fellow citizens in every part of the United States…to act apart & observe…a day of Thanksgiving & Prayer to our beneficent Father…due to him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national…disobedience, commend to His tender care…implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation & to restore it...” (see photos).
This text appeared in the New York Daily Tribune of October 5, 1863. A beautifully written piece by the President in the midst of so much national turmoil & bloodshed. Please enjoy:
A sale that worked out just fine…
November 21, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
In a day & age when sales of items between people can be fraught with troubles, here is an interesting “sale” that seemed to work out just fine. It appeared in “The London Chronicle” issue of June 4, 1767:
Old news is good news for collectors…
November 19, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
David Chesanow recently interviewed Timothy Hughes for a post at Americollector.com titled, “Old news is good news for collectors”. Some of the questions asked were:
- What newspapers do you yourself collect: ones from a specific region or era or pertaining to a certain subject? Or are newspapers in general your collecting “area” and you just like the rarest, most historic items?
- What are the collecting areas within the hobby?
- What are some of the interesting collecting areas of some of your customers?
- How extensive is the hobby of collecting rare newspapers? Are there any other dealers at all who specialize in this?
- What are the “Holy Grails” of newspaper collecting?
- Are newspapers ever forged? For example, aren’t there a lot of professionally done reprints in England?
- What have newspapers been made of over the years, and how perishable are they? Are the high-acid papers necessarily hard to preserve?
- When was the transition from rag content to high-acid paper in the U.S. and abroad?
- AND… many more!
The entire post is available for viewing at: Americollector.com. Thank you David for your contribution to the collectible.
Colorado’s first newspapers…
November 16, 2009 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
Credit is given to John Oswald’s “Printing In The Americas” for much of the following:
Colorado was first organized as the “Jefferson Territory” in October, 1859 and Congress renamed it Colorado Territory in February, 1861. It would become a state in 1876 hence it’s nickname “Centennial State”.
Colorado’s first printing was done in on April 23, 1859, on which date two newspapers were established in Denver, a town named after James W. Denver, the territorial governor of Kansas, and now occupying the site of two towns originally called Auraria and St. Charles. The “Rocky Mountain News” was started by William Byers, John Dailey & Thomas Gibson. Byers became the sole owner in 1870. The second newspaper, the “Cherry Creek Pioneer“, was started by John Merrick but only lasted for just a single issue. But shortly thereafter the “Rocky Mountain Gold Reporter & Mountain City Herald” was started August 6, 1859 at “Mountain City, Jefferson Territory”. A few months later the same printing press was used to launch the “Western Mountaineer” at Golden, Colorado.
The first daily newspaper in Colorado was the “Daily Herald and Rocky Mountain Advertiser” dating from May 1, 1860, and nearly four months later the “Rocky Mountain News” also became a daily publication.
There being no United States mail throughout Colorado at that time the newspapers were delivered by carriers mounted on burros to the various mining camps at 25 cents per copy, or $24 per year. One can imagine with such a lack of efficient distribution how small the print runs were and how few issues would survive to the 20th century.
Keep in mind that these early publication dates coincided with the Colorado “gold rush” which ran from 1859 to 1861 or so. It was typical that newspapers would spring up in areas when population would boom and land development was flourishing. Newspapers were quick to arise wherever the people would be, as was the case in California, Alaska and many other Western states.
Any of these early Colorado newspapers from 1859 or the early 1860’s are exceedingly scarce and would be choice issues for any collection.