Search
The Rare & Early Newspapers Hobby
Receive the Newsletter
Buy Historic Newspapers
Announcing: Catalog #333 for August, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
July 31, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
The August catalog (#333) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.
|
[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
Snapshot 1881: Is it a car, a bike, a train or a trike?
July 17, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Is it a car, a bike, a train, or a trike – or something else altogether? Looking back with an effort to place various inventions into current-day buckets is not always easy. However, in this case, there is one thing we know for sure: It is a velocipede: “a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels.” This one appeared in the April 16, 1881 issue of Scientific American.
The reason I collected it: The Semi-Weekly Argus from Washington Territory…
July 10, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
“The Semi-Weekly Argus” of Port Townsend, Washington Territory, July 7, 1873, might seem like an ordinary issue with typical content of the day. However the most intriguing aspect of the edition is not the data nor its content; it’s the paper upon which it is printed. It is yellow.
On rare occasions, newspaper publishers had to deviate from the traditional newsprint with which we are familiar, when necessity required an alternative. In such situations “necessity paper” was used, the term for whenever an issue was printed on anything non-traditional.
Given Port Townsend’s relative remoteness in the Northwest, I would suspect supply routes were often questionable a best, particularly with this date being 16 years before statehood.
We have encountered newspapers printed on paper with a wide assortment of colors, as well as wrapping paper, cornhusk paper, wallpaper, lined notebook paper. tissue paper, etc. Such editions were typically very short-lived, perhaps a few days at best, until supply chains could be re-established.
Here is a great example of the use of “necessity paper” and a visually prominent addition to any collection.
Announcing: Catalog #332 for July, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
June 30, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
The July catalog (#332) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.
|
[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
New Inventory ALERT: John Lennon’s Death Report from where he was killed…
June 23, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
At Rare & Early Newspapers, we often have the privilege of procuring collectible newspapers from all over the world. Usually, Tim Hughes or my husband (Guy Heilenman) will speak with a dealer, library, museum or a person who was digging through their grandparent’s attic, and before long treasures will show up on our doorstep. We feel it is a bit like Christmas. Every now and again, a seller will come to visit us and bring their issues in person. Such was the case this week when a very sweet and gracious gentleman brought us issues of the NEW YORK POST dated Dec. 9, 1980 which contained coverage of John Lennon’s tragic death at the hands of “a screwball” (see photo below). We were thrilled to procure these issues for 2 reasons. First, we now have newspapers reporting his death from both the city where he died and the city where in he born (LIVERPOOL) – forming a truly unique 2-issue set for collectors of John Lennon/Beatles memorabilia. Secondly, while this content may not interest all of our collecting family, we are always on the hunt to expand the variety of the collectible newspapers within our archives… satisfying our continual quest to find items spanning all collectible interests.
June Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
June 16, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
|
The reason I collected it: Predicting the 21st century from a perch in 1929…
June 12, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Who hasn’t given some thought to what life would be like in 50 years, or 75 years. A few enterprising newspaper publishers have as well, and the Daily Mail of London, January 1, 2000 is a great–and quite rare–example.
You see, this is actually a newspaper published in 1928. This is a futurist newspaper. We’ve handled a few, but they are exceedingly scarce. It was printed based on their perception of what life, news, entertainment, politics, and culture would be like 72 years in the future. What is most intriguing is that this future date is already in our distant past, so it is interesting to see what people in 1928 thought life would be like in 2000. In general, their hopes would prove to be disappointing to any reader who might have lived until 2000.
From beginning to end, this 24-page tabloid-size newspaper is all about the future. It had to be an exhausting project, but it certainly resulted in a most intriguing addition to any newspaper collection. 
Einstein… Smarter than a 5th grader?
June 9, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
To even ask such a question seems a bit absurd, but let’s double it. What about a 10th grader?
As reported on the front page of the May 16, 1952 issue of The New York Times, the 70-something “genius” Albert Einstein was put to the test. How did he do? He received an A+ for kindness, and, using today’s measuring stick where everyone is a winner, he posted another high score for effort. As for his answer… go to the NYT link above to find out if he was able to go toe-to-toe with a question given to a group of 15-year-olds.
Spoiler alert! In all fairness Dr. Einstein, rumor has it the question was listed under the “Challenging Questions” portion of their assignment.
From the Vault – What is the best way to preserve & store newspapers?
June 5, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
A long-time collector, Morris Brill, is always asking great questions concerning the rare newspaper hobby. I’ll address several over the next few months, beginning with his first:
“What is the best way to preserve and store newspapers?”
I’ve considered several methods through the years. At first I was using large plastic bags and opening the four page papers and slipping them within, then taping & cutting the bag to the size of the newspaper. This way all pages could be read while being protected by the plastic. But this obviously didn’t work if the newspaper had more than four pages.
I’ve considered encapsulation but it is relatively expensive and doesn’t provide the tactile experience so important in this hobby: one needs to touch & feel the paper to better “experience its history”.
After a few other failed experiments at proper storage I decided to customize a product I saw for storage of maps and documents. Since appropriate sizes for newspapers were not available we started making them in-house using archival material, now available on our website in eight sizes. These folders also allows the collection to label and make comment on the front of the folder. The newspapers slip in and out of the folders very easily to allow examination of all pages and that important “tactile experience”. I believe University Products offers a similar product but the sizes are not necessarily proportioned for newspapers.
I also like the newspaper storage boxes which University Products offers, and I categorize the newspapers, in folders, by era, one era per box. I find these boxes to be very nice for storing a personal collection and are advertised as being made of archival materials. They are quite strong as well.
If the desire is to show the newspapers to others or for display at a show or convention I might recommend presentation cases which we use for display. We received so much call for this product that we become distributors, now available on our website.
Best also to keep newspapers our of sunlight and high humidity. Newspapers can be professionally matted & framed quite safely, and UV glass is available if the newspaper will be displayed where the sun will hit it at some point in the day. But I would still avoid contact with the sun as much as possible.
More later!
Note: The History’s Newsstand Blog went live for the first time in 2008. Since then our goal has been to provide informative of interest to both novice and well-oiled collectors of Rare & Early Newspapers. The focus of the “From the Vault” series is to introduce the current generation of collectors to posts from the past (with occasional updates as appropriate). The original post shown above can be viewed at:
What is the best way to preserve & store newspapers?
Highlights from Catalog 331 (June, 2023)…
June 2, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
At the start of each month we (RareNewspapers.com) release a catalog of newly discovered rare & early collectible newspapers. Whenever possible, along with the announcement of the catalog’s availability, we also like to include a brief video highlighting a selection of the key issues along with a few examples of interesting newspapers for those on a tight budget. This month’s video is shown below. We hope you enjoy.