Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (Intro & Sept., 1775)…

October 3, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

Today we continue our series, “Lead-Up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day” – the anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and self-government.
The following are the installments from last month (September), which reflected on the events as they were reported in and around September, 1775:

British News Delayed – Lead-up to a Nation (E5)

Lord Dunmore and Colonial Unrest – Lead-up to a Nation (E6)

Patrick Henry – Lead-up to a Nation (E7)

Benjamin Franklin – Lead-up to a Nation (E8)

We hope you are enjoying this year-long trek to the 250th anniversary of The United States through the eyes of those who were fully engaged, first hand. As mentioned previously, all accounts are roo0ted in what they read in the newspapers of the day.

“History is never more fascinating than when read from the day it was first reported.” (Timothy Hughes, 1975)

Announcing: Catalog #359 for October, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

September 30, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

October’s catalog (#359) is now available. The links shown below will take you to various segments of the new catalog and the current list of discounted issues. Enjoy!

Catalog #359 (for October): This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of over 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: a great broadside on the surrender of Robert E. Lee, an early report on the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington’s Circular Letter on his resignation, The Gettysburg Address, the capture of Ethan Allen, “Neil Steps On The Moon” (from Neil Armstrong’s hometown), and more.

The following links are designed to help you explore all available items from this latest edition of our catalog:

  • Grouped by price…

Priced under $50

Priced at $50-$99

Priced at $100-$299

Priced at $300 and up (the best of the best)

  • Grouped by era…

Dated from 1600-1799

Dated from 1800-1899

Dated from 1900-Present

————–

DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off)

Thanks for collecting with us!

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

RareNewspapers.com

570-326-1045

Lead-up to a Nation… as reported in the newspapers of the day (Intro & August, 1775)…

September 5, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

At Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers, we feel like we’re stepping onto the field for our very own Super Bowl—only this time, the stakes are historical! As we begin the 12-month countdown to the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, we are honored to be part of this extraordinary moment in time.
To commemorate this milestone in our nation’s story—the anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and self-government—we’re thrilled to launch a special series that brings the past to life. Starting this month, and several Fridays each month between now and the official anniversary on July 4, 2026, we will highlight pivotal pre-Independence Day events exactly as they were covered in the printed news of the day.
As the year progresses, we’ll also shine a spotlight on the U.S. Constitution, the remarkable framework that has kept our Republic “between the bumper rails” for nearly 250 years. And of course, we’ll celebrate We The People and the visionary Founding Fathers whose bold leadership helped lay the foundation for a new nation.
As George Washington so aptly stated in his very first State of the Union Address in 1790, “The establishment of our new Government seemed to be the last great experiment for promoting human happiness.” We at Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers are proud to honor that enduring legacy—and we would be delighted if you would join in the celebration.

Shown below are the first four installments.

The Necessity of Taking Up Arms – Lead-up to a Nation (E1)

The Olive Branch Petition – Lead-up to a Nation (E2)

The Speech of Edmund Burke – Lead-up to a Nation (E3)

England Declares War – Lead-up to a Nation (E4)

We hope you enjoy this year-long trek to the 250th anniversary of The United States through the eyes of those who were fully engaged, first hand. All accounts will be through what they read in the newspapers of the day. After all, as Tim Hughes proclaimed back in 1975: “History is never more fascinating than when read from the day it was first reported.”

A 49 year search comes to an end… The 1765 “Tombstone” issue…

September 1, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

There are a number of iconic American newspapers that every collector desires, most are for content alone such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, etc.

Not many are desired for both historical significance as well as graphic appeal, but such is the case with the Pennsylvania Journal of  October 31, 1765. Having been aware of it for many years (photos are found in many high school history books), I had always been in the search for a genuine issue (beware: many reprints exist). I came close about 35 years ago when an institution, which had two in their collection, gave thought to exchanging one with me for an unknown Philadelphia newspaper I had discovered. Ultimately, they opted not to do the swap, so the search was back on.

It ended earlier this year.

This particular edition, famously known as the “tombstone edition,” used striking visual and textual elements to express colonial outrage over the Stamp Act tax, which required many printed materials, including newspapers, to bear a revenue stamp. This tax directly impacted printers and publishers, placing a heavy economic burden on them and fueling widespread resistance.
As seen in the photos, the masthead featured a skull and crossbones, a powerful symbol representing the “death” of the press under the weight of the Stamp Act. Also, an engraving of a coffin appears at the bottom of the back page, captioned: “The last Remains of the PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL Which departed this Life, the 31st of October, 1765, Of a Stamp in her Vitals, Aged 23 Years.”
Publisher William Bradford begins the issue with poignant commentary, including: “I am sorry to be obliged to acquaint my readers, that as The Stamp Act is fear’d to be obligatory upon us after the First of November ensuing (the fatal to-morrow) the publisher of this paper unable to bear the burthen, has thought it expedient to stop a while, in order to deliberate whether any methods can be found to elude the chains forged for us…”.
Published just one day before the Stamp Act’s enforcement, this edition cleverly voiced dissent without yet violating the law, making it a strategic act of defiance.
This “tombstone edition” of the Pennsylvania Journal captured this economic strain and transformed it into a public rallying cry.
This edition stands as a vivid example of how the colonial press used creativity to oppose British policies, contributing to the growing revolutionary sentiment. It underscores the critical role newspapers played in shaping public opinion and mobilizing opposition in the years leading up to the American Revolution.
While other newspapers also protested the Stamp Act, the Pennsylvania Journal’s dramatic tombstone imagery made it particularly memorable and influential. It galvanized public resistance, cementing its place as a powerful symbol of defiance in American history.

Announcing: Catalog #358 for September, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

August 29, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

September’s catalog (#358) is now available. The links shown below will take you to various segments of the new catalog, the History’s Newsstand Blog, two “bonus” catalog items, and the current list of discounted issues. Enjoy!

Catalog #358 (for September): This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of over 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: the famous ‘tombstone edition’ of the Pennsylvania Journal from 1765, a terrific broadside on Lincoln’s assassination, ‘The Newes’ newsbook from 1663, the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War, coverage of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Emancipation Proclamation (in a Washington, D.C. paper), and more.

The following links are designed to help you explore all available items from this latest edition of our catalog:

  • Grouped by price…

Priced under $50

Priced at $50-$99

Priced at $100-$299

Priced at $300 and up (the best of the best)

  • Grouped by era…

Dated from 1600-1799

Dated from 1800-1899

Dated from 1900-Present

————–

DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off)

HISTORY’S NEWSSTAND – Recent Posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog may be accessed at: History’s Newsstand

Thanks for collecting with us!

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

RareNewspapers.com

570-326-1045

Announcing: Catalog #357 for August, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

August 1, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

August’s catalog (#357) is now available. The links shown below will take you to various segments of the new catalog, the History’s Newsstand Blog (check out the post: “Ben Franklin’s 1st contribution to The Gentleman’s Magazine”), and the current list of discounted issues. Enjoy!

Catalog #357 (for August): This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of over 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: the desirable “Unite Or Die” engraving, the Battle of Lexington & Concord, the most famous of all Lincoln assassination newspapers, Hawaii’s first “regular” newspaper, an Oxford Gazette (1665), the Louisiana Purchase (on the front page), and more.

The following links are designed to help you explore all available items from this latest edition of our catalog:

  • Grouped by price…

Priced under $50

Priced at $50-$99

Priced at $100-$299

Priced at $300 and up (the best of the best)

  • Grouped by era…

Dated from 1600-1799

Dated from 1800-1899

Dated from 1900-Present

————–

DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off)

HISTORY’S NEWSSTAND – Recent Posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog may be accessed at: History’s Newsstand

Thanks for collecting with us!

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

RareNewspapers.com

570-326-1045

From the Vault: Creating Harper’s Weekly engravings: a fascinating process…

July 21, 2025 by · 14 Comments 

Harper’s Weekly issues of the 19th century remain among the more popular in our inventory, as the multiple engravings found in each issue document much of American history from 1857 through the end of the century. We have over 60,000 issues in inventory but still some dates are sold out as soon as they arrive. I suspect most of you have seen this title, but few may be aware of the interesting process of creating the prints in a timely manner.

The story of how Harper’s delivered this amazing product during the Civil War  is a fascinating one, and I must give credit to www.sonofthesouth.net for much of detail.

The process started by the deployment of not only reporters but also artists to the battlefield.  Some of the most renowned artists of the 1800’s got their start as illustrators for Harper’s Weekly, including Winslow Homer and Thomas Nast.   These artists would sketch scenes of the battles that they witnessed and the sketches would then be dispatched back to Harper’s for publication in the upcoming papers.

In order to publish the artwork, the images first had to be carved onto a block of wood.  But it would take too much time for a single engraver to carve an entire print, particularly given the timeliness of each issue.  To provide the illustrations as quickly as possible, a very clever idea was developed.  The illustration would be cut into 2 inch squares and each square would be engraved onto a different small block of wood by an assigned carver.

By dividing the illustration up, each artist assigned to just a portion, a team of workers could carve a full page illustration in a short period of time.  After the small blocks were completed they were then screwed together to form the overall illustration and a finishing engraver would provide final touches to be sure the pieces were perfectly aligned.  This completed wood block was then used as a “master” to stamp the illustration onto all the newspapers being printed.  If you look at a Harper’s engraving carefully you can often see where the blocks of wood were joined together.

It wasn’t until the 1890’s that the technology of printing caused the end of hand-done engravings for the pages of Harper’s and other illustrated periodicals. With the demise of this labor-intensive trade also came the end of some of the more beautiful works of art to be found on paper. They remain treasures today and hearken back to an era when artistry and long hours of work were an important part in providing the news.

(This post was originally published on March 23, 2009.)

The July, 2025 Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

July 19, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

Welcome to the July Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers… History’s Newsstand. Shown below are links to a Lincoln assassination broadside (available “on the cheap” due to condition), an expanded set of items added to Catalog 356 which are only available on-line (25 added just today), a new set of discounted newspapers (100+ at 50% off), recent additions to the History’s Newsstand blog, and the complete Catalog 356 (July’s catalog). Regarding the expanded set of new catalog items, just for fun, check out “The Speech of Polly Baker” and “Curious issue reporting Kennedy’s assassination“. We hope you enjoy!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

An inexpensive Lincoln Broadside

(on eBay)

 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

July’s Discounted Issues

(50% off – as shown)

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Newly Added to Catalog 356

(25+ more added within the past 24 hours)

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Catalog 356

(Complete list)

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The History’s Newsstand Blog (Recent Posts)

Editors take note: be careful what accompanies a headline…

Losses of the Past… Sherman’s March to the Sea…

From the Vault: American history in British newspapers…

Hearts & Minds… The Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms…

Claiming the Land… America Presses Westward…

The reason I collected it: an “association piece” attached…

The historical foundation of “Juneteenth” – June 19, 1865…

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Video Flashback (posted a few years ago)…

The Best of the Best – Part I

As always, thanks for collecting with us!
Sincerely,
Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team
570-326-1045

From the Vault: American history in British newspapers…

July 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

After 50 years in the hobby I can honestly say today as I said then: collecting early newspapers is an inexpensive hobby when compared to other collectibles of like vintage. And the reason is basic economics: supply and demand. Although the collecting fraternity has increased through the years, and the supply of early newspapers has dwindled some, prices still remain a relative bargain for material over 100—and over 200—years old.

Exceptions exist. American newspapers of the 18th century are few and far between today. When I began in the hobby in the mid-1970’s, finding the occasional 18th century bound volume of American newspapers was rather common. I even purchased a number of volumes of colonial and Revolutionary War newspapers printed in the colonies. Such purchases are very rare today, and consequently prices for American titles before the1790’s can be exorbitant for many collectors.

Which brings me to this topic. We are fortunate in this hobby to have a terrific alternative to American newspapers of the colonial era: British newspapers. Keeping in mind that the American colonies were British possessions at the time, considerable American reporting was not uncommon (and I can attest that American newspapers of the same period had considerable European reports!). In fact most British newspapers took their accounts directly from American newspapers so the reporting was identical. And the added bonus of British newspaper reports is commentary with a British bias, offering an interesting perspective to what we remember from history class.

Hobbyists of 25 – 50 years ago eschewed British titles because American titles were so common. But today the collecting market is much different. In many respects I see today’s availability & pricing of British titles much like the situation with American titles 50 years ago. We can find major American events of the colonial era at prices still under $1000 (higher for the “best of the best”) in the London Chronicle or like titles, and under $300 for second tier events.  We find there is typically a 5 fold price difference between reports in American versus British newspapers. We’ve sold the Boston Tea Party for $1150 in the London Chronicle. In an American newspaper a like account would exceed $10,000.  We’ve sold the Boston Massacre in the London Chronicle for the same price. And yet again, it would easily exceed $10,000 in an American title. One of the most significant documents of the Revolutionary War, “The Causes & Necessity For Taking Up Arms”, we sell as a $540 item in the Gentleman’s Magazine, yet we sold it for $5550 in the New England Chronicle a number of years ago – and today it would go for $8,000-$12,000+. Same complete document, both from 1775, one within the budget of most collectors, the other not.

But prices are rising for British imprints as more collectors are becoming aware that if they want their collection to contain all the significant events of the 18th century, British newspapers and magazines are their only alternative.  The Declaration of Independence remains the most desired event for American collectors. An American newspaper printing is beyond the budgets of almost all collectors, if available at all. An auction price of $50,000 – $75,000 would be expected, while we recently sold the same document in the London Chronicle for $8775. But I will also note it was not long ago that we sold it for $4450. Our current price for a front page account of the Battle of Lexington & Concord in the London Chronicle is $985. Our previous sale of the identical dated issue was $440.

Where will the hobby be with such events in another 25-50 years? Will all 18th century newspapers–American and British–be considered museum pieces? Much will determine where prices go and I will not hazard a guess. But I am pleased that as the hobby enters a crossroad in availability versus pricing, we currently have a reasonable path to follow for the foreseeable future. These are interesting times for the collecting fraternity.

Announcing: Catalog #356 for July, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

June 27, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

July’s catalog (#356) is now available. The links shown below will take you to various segments of the new catalog, new posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog, and discounted issue. Please enjoy!

Catalog #356 (for July): Our latest offering of authentic newspapers contains over 300 new items. Among them are the Constitution of the United States, the “Causes & Necessity of Taking Up Arms” on the front page, Hawaii’s first English language newspaper, an early newsbook from 1643, the Boston Massacre, a British review of “Common Sense”, a rare printing of Alexander Hamilton’s greatest work (“Report on Manufactures”), the British reaction to Washington being named commander-in-chief, perhaps the best Marilyn Monroe death newspaper to be had, synagogues hold memorial services in honor of Abraham Lincoln, along with a number of additional highly sought after titles, historic reports, and unique issues. These newspapers we often refer to as “The Best of The Best” may be viewed at: noteworthy issues.

The following links are designed to help you explore all available items from this latest edition of our catalog:

         1500-1799 (full view OR quick-scan/compact view)

         1800-1899 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)

         1900-Present (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)

————–

DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off)

HISTORY’S NEWSSTAND – Recent Posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog may be accessed at: History’s Newsstand

Thanks for collecting with us!

Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

RareNewspapers.com

570-326-1045

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