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A March stroll thru time – 50, 100, 150, 200, & 250 years ago…
March 3, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
What news was reported in the month of March – 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 years ago? Such a walk back through time via the eyes of those who read the daily and weekly newspapers of the period can be quite revealing. This is why we often say, “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day it was first reported.” The following links will take you back in time to show the available newspapers from the Rare & Early newspapers website. There’s no need to buy a thing. Simply enjoy the stroll.
Oxford girls in 1923 cannot be thwarted…
February 29, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When we think of college fraternity life, scenes of Animal House (whether we’ve seen the movie or not) likely play in our minds as we imagine, among other things, guys relentlessly exploring ways to covertly enter (and eventually exit) woman’s dormitories or sorority houses late at night. The young testosterone-inflamed males are always the pursuers, with the estrogen-nourished females the pursued. While the burning of brassieres marking the throwing off of gender roles and stereotypes did not become popular until the 1960’s, the front page of the New York Times for January 25, 1923 had an interesting article regarding the young woman of Oxford which foretold of things to come. Perhaps the idiom “You just can’t keep a good (wo)man down” is appropriate in this instance. Enjoy.
Cigarettes… Fitness you can…
February 25, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
While pairing the concept of superior athleticism with cigarette smoking as an advertising ploy would come across ridiculous in today’s “enlightened” culture, there was a time when this was not the case. In fact, professional athletes promoting cigarettes (see the ad from a NYT, October 1, 1941 shown below) was as common in early-to-mid 1900’s as the same promoting energy and “health” drinks is today. I wonder if our children’s children will look back on today wondering how we could have been (dare I say) duped by such connections. Are health drinks really healthy? Time will likely tell.
The Attack on Pearl Harbor… Great Headlines Speak For Themselves…
February 18, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with the HONOLULU STAR BULLETIN – 1st Extra! printed on December 7, 1941:
The Traveler… “The Big Dipper” sets NBA record… Communism – the beginning of the end?…
February 15, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to New York City by the means of The New York Times, February 15, 1966. There I found that Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the 76’ers, had scored his 20,884th point to surpassed the record previously set by Bob Pettit.
The front page also has the reporting of “2-SOVIET AUTHORS ARE CONVICTED” with subheads “Court Finds Works Published Abroad Harmed Regime” and “Sinyavsky Is Given 7 Years, Daniel 5 at Hard Labor”. Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel were convicted of writing under pseudonym names and sending the books out of Russia for publication. “…The judgment, considered unprecedented in modern Soviet history, called it a criminal act to put into print beliefs and ideas that could be used profitably by ‘enemies of communism’…”
As historian Fred Coleman writes, “Historians now have no difficulty pinpointing the birth of the modern Soviet dissident movement. It began in February 1966 with the trial of Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel, two Russian writers who ridiculed the Communist regime in satires smuggled abroad and published under pen names… Little did they realize at the time that they were starting a movement that would help end Communist rule.” [source: Wikipedia]
~The Traveler
History in never more fascinating… American Indians…
February 11, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We recently came across a Niles’ Register for December 4, 1824 which contains back-to-back articles which clearly convey the complexity of the relationship between the “new” Americans (settlers) and the American Indians. Honor, respect, fear, dignity, sadness, affection, death – emotional and physical tension abound within a few short paragraphs. While we often look back from a distance and try to paint the past with monochrome strokes, the snapshot below confirms the truth that history is never more fascinating (and colorful) than when it’s read from the day it was first reported. Please enjoy.
The Traveler… showing the way…
February 4, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled back to England by the way of The London Gazette dated February 4, 1666. The back page has “The Kings Most Excellent Majesty having been graciously pleased… to give Authority… for the erecting of a Light-House on St. Anns point in the County of Pembroke, to prevent such damages as ordinarily accrue to seafaring-men, through the want of such timely Prevision in that Case…” While this original lighthouse no longer stands, there have been two others built in it’s place, with the current lighthouse viewable at: St. Ann’s Lighthouse
~The Traveler
A February stroll thru time – 50, 100, 150, 200, & 250 years ago…
February 1, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
What news was reported in the month of February – 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 years ago? Such a walk back through time via the eyes of those who read the daily and weekly newspapers of the period can be quite revealing. This is why we often say, “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day it was first reported.” The following links will take you back in time to show the available newspapers from the Rare & Early newspapers website. There’s no need to buy a thing. Simply enjoy the stroll.
Newspaper Museums abound… Looking for input…
January 28, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Newspapers have been one of the main means of community communication for several centuries. While many newspaper publishers have closed their doors as on-line access has increased, one would still be hard-pressed to find a city without its own printed newspaper. However, as the number of newspaper publishers gradually decrease, the number of newspaper museums appear to be on the rise. Current news may be best viewed within a moment of its occurrence via the internet, news of the past (history) seems to be best viewed first-hand – either by reading a historic newspaper first-hand, or by visiting one of the hundreds of newspaper and print-shop museums. Collecting rare newspapers satisfies the first, but what about the second? The Newseum and the American Antiquarian Society (think Isaiah Thomas) are great place to start, but what about museums with a more local or historical bent? A favorite for some is the relatively new Edes & Gill Print Shop attached to The Old North Church in Boston, but what about others? If you have visited a newspaper museum and/or historic print shop which you found interesting, please share by commenting with the name, location, and a brief mention of what you enjoyed.
America stunned by Soviet success in the space race…
January 25, 2016 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It can be difficult to appreciate how stunning the event of the Soviet Union’s success with the Sputnik launch was given the phenomenal success of American space exploration in the 1960’s, but at the time this headline in the “Los Angeles Times” issue of October 5, 1957: “RUSS SATELLITE CIRCLING EARTH” was terrifying for many (see first few moments of October Sky).
The Soviet Union had taken the lead in what became known as the “space race”, with fears of what havoc Soviet domination of the heavens could mean to the United States. Early American attempts to reach outer space were plagued with failures before a string of successes would cause America to be the first to put man on the moon. Today there are joint American-Russian space efforts with the Space Station, a situation which could not have been imagined in 1957.