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I’m New Here: Week Thirty-Two…
September 27, 2019 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
This week as I was pulling some Gentleman’s Magazines to fill online catalog gaps, I hovered over an issue prior to searching within the computer system. It was dated July 1776, and I took a minute to let that soak in. I am regularly awestruck at handling all these papers, but particularly anything from such an important, pivotal year and month in American history. Actually, I suppose it was significant to world history as well.
This is not a museum, however, but a place of business and conscience compelled me to limit my sighing to less than a minute before turning to the keyboard and pulling up the listing for this title and date. And, as I read the opening lines of the description, I felt again the great privilege I have to be here.
“It is rare to find newspapers or magazines with the magical date of 1776, let alone ‘July, 1776’. Here is one.”
These paragraphs are such valuable tools for searching as well as learning. While Timothy Hughes Rare and Early Newspapers can boast 44 years in existence as a business, the depth of knowledge of history and its significance that is applied to filtering through the millions of papers in order to present each one goes far beyond a mere business listing. And the one that filled my screen only served to deepen my wonder at this treasure trove chronicling the earliest days of this country.
The first article contains 3 pages of text on events in America, including: “Proceedings of the American Colonists since the Passing the Boston Port Bill” with various reports, one stating that: “…the main army of the United Colonies has changed its situation; and that the head-quarters are now at New-York, where Gen. Washington has already taken up his residence…”. A proclamation issued by Congress concerning a redress of the grievances of the colonies says in part: “Therefore, Resolved, that it be recommended to the respective Assemblies and Conventions of the United Colonies, where no government sufficient to…their affairs has been…established, to adopt such a government…”, signed in type: John Hancock. Perhaps the most significant report is one mentioning the convention at Williamsburgh containing an important resolve (see) passed by the delegates which reads in part: “…That the delegates appointed to represent this colony…be instructed to propose to that…body to declare the united colonies free and independent…and that they give the assent of this colony to such declaration …..
I remember in my first days here, wondering if I would be required to wear gloves when handling these issues. My query was shrugged off, but I have been asked the same by friends and acquaintances when I talk about my job. We are used to seeing important things enclosed and protected behind glass and velvet ropes. But these papers were made to be read, and passed around so the news could spread. The older ones are often in better condition than the ones from the past few decades. Still, they are individually protected within folders, as much to keep the edges safe and protected as to shield from light and other environmental contaminants. I like that the storage options we use are the same as those we offer to our collecting community. Even though the crew here is much more seasoned than I, there is an unspoken acknowledgement that this is really amazing stuff, and I am not the only one that gets a bit awestruck…
They Put It In Print… How to hate – 1941…
September 22, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
As we were searching through our issues from 1941 looking for new WWII content, to our great dismay we discovered a article on page 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle dated November 15th headed: “Goebbels Tells Germans How To Hate Jews”, which was followed by his ten “reasons” to hate them. There are some who wish to ignore and/or deny the existence of the hatred which ran rampant during this time in world history, but thanks to the S.F. Chronicle, they put it in print:
Were you there – 1980? Elton John performs in Central Park…
September 16, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Price being equal, would you typically choose a tangible gift, or an experience? Why do I ask?
Context: My wife and I have been blessed with 6 children. As each approached the end of their high school education, we offered each of them a sizeable (to us – the parents of a large family with only one of us working outside the home) amount of money as a graduation gift, or its equivalent in cost to go on a trip of their own creation. Two of them opted for the $$$ to put toward items they wanted (at the time), while the other four each elected to go on a trip. Many years later, as we all reflect back on the “gifts”, those who chose the “experience” are pleased they did – and have vivid fond memories, and the others struggle to remember what it was they had purchased. The reality is, “things” are typically for the moment, and have short life-spans, whereas memories are for a lifetime.
It is with this in mind we embark on a new, experiential series of posts: “Where you there?” Our hope is that in so doing, those of you who were present will be flooded with good memories of your experience. To kick things off…
On September 13, 1980, Elton John performed a free concert in Central Park, New York. To this day, it remains one of the top ten most-highly attended musical events held in Central Park. Were you there? The ad below was printed in the September 9th, 1980 (f0r the 10th-16th) issue of The Village Voice. Feel free to share your family-friendly memories.
I’m New Here: Week Thirty (gasp!)
September 13, 2019 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
Even eight months into my first year here, I still have important job skills to acquire. This week Guy introduced me to The Weekly Register, also known as the Niles’ Weekly Register. He actually didn’t provide much of an introduction as there was new inventory to pick up, but he mentioned the title and left me to find my way to the back wall of the annex.
Before I started the metaphorical digging in, I tried to get my bearings first by looking into the background of this publication that stretched from 1811 until 1848. Our own item description mentions “significant coverage of the War of 1812”, so I extracted an issue from the title year, settling on December 5, 1812. Just below the town and date, a centered, italicized quote from Virgil’s “The Aeneid” assured me I would appreciate this new acquaintance.
Forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit, “Maybe someday you will rejoice to recall even this.” I wonder if it was intended to bolster the staff or the new country. At any rate, the printing address on the following line is a cheery thing. “Printed and published by H. Niles, South-st. next door to the Merchants’ Coffee House”.
The issue I borrowed from the racks covers the legislatures of New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina, where (if the reports are accurate) the members were busily balancing affairs of their individual states with decisions concerning the authority of the president to call out a state’s militia. I was struck by the measured, pragmatic way one William Plumer attempted to persuade the governing body of New Hampshire. My pile of recommended reading for current politicians is growing taller every day.
A list of the “excellent toasts drank at New York, in commemoration of the evacuation of that city by the British” lauds the particular prowess of American sloops of war and the late Captain Jones, resting “on the bosom of the Atlantic.”
There is a four page section devoted to “Events of the War” packed with locations of ships, letters from various regiments, descriptions of force strength, and even a transcription of a Brigadier-General’s stirring call to arms.
“Rewards and honors await the brave. Infamy and contempt are reserved for cowards.
Companions in arms! — You came to vanquish a valiant foe. I know the choice you will make. Come on, my heroes!”
I can’t help but think that if we continued to work at bringing forth great words we might encourage heroic ideals in a culture so untethered to traditions of excellence in speech and conduct. Then again, I am only seeing the parts of 1812 that made it into print.
Anyway, if you don’t know The Weekly Register, I hope you too have opportunity to become acquainted. It has certainly been my pleasure.
Snapshot 1968… One of the more eerie ads we’ve seen…
September 9, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following snapshot comes from the Village Voice, Greenwich Village, New York, June 6, 1968. In a bizarre twist of fate which is a bit stranger than fiction, Robert (Bobby) Kennedy died this same day at the hand of an assassin, and although the coverage was not included since this issue had already been printed, the back page has an eerie ad soliciting help with his campaign which states: “ROBERT F. KENNEDY is alive and living in N.Y.” What could possibly have motivated the one placing this ad to include such wording?
Labor Day – back to school, end of summer, and hurricanes – Oh My!
September 2, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Labor Day weekend is often received with quite divergent emotions. Most children view its encroachment with sadness as marks the end of their summer and a return to school, whereas at least a portion of parents view it in a positive light as a return to a bit of normalcy, and to sports enthusiasts, the onset of football season. However, regardless of which point of view one embraces, for coastal residents in the east and south, their emotions are typically coupled with a bit of trepidation as it also signals the onset of prime hurricane season. In this regard, the Albany Evening News for September 4, 1935 tells of what has become known as The Great Labor Day Hurricane. The image below tells of at least the initial detail of this historic weather-generated disaster. So, as we ask the Lord’s blessing before enjoying our outdoor BBQ’s today, let’s be thankful these tragic events are few and far between.
I’m New Here: Week Twenty-Eight…
August 29, 2019 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
It’s probably obvious by now that histories of people are the most intriguing aspect of life to me and it helps me when I enter into the customer service aspect of this job. Each longtime collector, or birthday dabbler, or train-of-thought/rabbit trail follower (I made that term up) is led or driven by his or her own tale. And I am privileged to hear about the whys and wherefores of the quests.
This week I worked with an Earth Science teacher who has been collecting early records of hurricanes, tidal surges and solar eclipses with an intensity I can’t help but appreciate, even though I could barely follow his pontificating. It makes me happy that he is teaching, and I hope his enthusiasm is contagious to at least one of the jaded high schoolers trudging through the eleventh grade of our system of education. A writer in Manhattan checked in five times this week, and added titles that were absolutely vital to the history she is compiling and I have a mental image of scraps of paper covered in scribbles from which she cross checks and matches our latest catalog offerings. Her exclamations of delight are always tinged with the “I really shouldn’t…” tone that most dieters adopt.
Preferences aside, details really matter in this job. Enthusiasm over stories within a volume cannot excuse my neglect to mark the proper location for return. With thirty-one rows of interior shelving that is fifteen feet high and thirty feet long, a misfiled collection may never be found again, however valuable the issues or concentrated the search. Similarly, folks who ordered a hundred times don’t appreciate a letter that welcomes them as a new collector, and our six-digit item codes can’t have a single transposition without becoming wrong. By this error, I did not locate a New York Tribune from the Civil War period but a Scientific American from January 24, 1891. Tracing my mistake to the original point at which I veered from the straight and narrow path of accuracy, I ended up sitting down to a cup of tea and a technical description of the “Electrical Base Ball Bulletin.” It caught my eye because we are located in “The Birthplace of Little League” and host the annual World Series every August. As with the Science instructor, the technical jargon jumbles me a bit so I cannot begin to comprehend how the contraption worked. However, the description is clearly an invention of Mr. S. D. Mott of Passaic, New Jersey from 129 years ago, that was possibly the precursor to the system for the modern scoreboard display.
So, there you have it.
In the world of Rare and Early Newspapers, even a wrong turn (in a timely fashion) can land me in a place I learn something new.
Snapshot 1945… America at Iwo Jima – a melting pot forged in blood…
August 26, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following snapshot comes from the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, dated April 22, 1945, which shouts of America as the world’s melting pot in a thousand words… and perhaps a million drops of blood.
I’m New Here: Week Twenty-Seven…
August 23, 2019 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
Vacation is a good thing – as is coming back after a small change of scenery. I was up in Maine on a pond that is larger than any lake in my home state. And, while there, I was introduced to some important, prestigious folks who are third generation cabin (“camp” in the local vernacular) owners . We met at a covered dish supper out on one of the islands, bringing our contributions of bread and pie by way of a handmade wooden boat with a small outboard motor. And the inevitable question, “what do you do?” gave me a temporary fascinating status within the small group that included a renowned city planning consultant, a state representative, a former missionary to one of the Pacific islands and a couple of people who loosely classify themselves as “working in finance”. And, once again, I can reflect on the wealth that comes to anyone with access to information and knowledge.
Last week I had intended to tell about The National Tribune – a paper packed full of everyday life. My bit of time away in a very small town where people still own the original house that their great grandfather built, or moved, or rebuilt after fire swept through that portion of the town, made me even more eager to share it.
We have here, in the annex, the years of 1885 through 1887. Within these weekly offerings is that strange blend of folksy and elite – the movers and shakers of a national capital as they move around town and shop and advertise and gossip and greet. Unlike that other Washington title The National Intelligencer, the first of the eight pages contains very little news, while the third page is devoted to veteran accounts of the American Civil War, with columns headed by campaign and battle names. Sandwiched between the words of the wife of the Speaker of the House concerning her eight children and the scientific reporting on the application of incandescent mantles to carriage lights are details of Senate hearings and policy matters that still impact us today.
If you have the opportunity, consider purchasing a random date from this collection. It’s less than two movie tickets and popcorn, and will likely enrich your life as much as it entertains. The newsy, small town tone reminds me of my recent time in New England, with the strange familiarity induced by elements we all have in common, whatever our circumstances or position.
Anyway, I plan to wander the New England titles from the 1800’s in my next bit of adventuring time. Life, as described by a community newspaper, is filled with unexpected moments of beauty, kindness and every day heroism.
Note: If you would like to purchase an issue of this title from the 1800’s, feel free to do so at: National Tribune, 1885-1887
I’m New Here: Week Twenty-Six (aka, “She’s Still New Here – the first six months”)…
August 15, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
There has rarely (if ever) been someone who has walked through our archives of historic newspapers and not been overwhelmed by the history that courses through the premises, but what is uncommon is to have such an individual become a member of our staff. Unlike many things that initially overwhelm or amaze us but soon lose their wonderment, if you love history, there are enough hidden treasures buried deep within our stacks to create excitement and appreciation for a lifetime. It was with this unique opportunity in mind we decided to have Stephanie Williams, our new office manager, chronicle her “learning curve” through a series of ongoing posts titled, “I’m New Here…”. Now that she has eclipsed the six-month mark, we thought it might be nice to assemble the posts into one easy-to-access location. Please enjoy her initial 6-month trek.
I’m New Here…
Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-6, 7, 8, 9-10, 11, 12, 13, 14-15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-21, 22-23, 24, and 25 (this being week 26)
(Also, Stephanie was on vacation so we thought it was a good time to create this chronology.)