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The Traveler… Stamped out…
March 7, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today, by the means of The Edinburgh Advertiser dated March 7, 1766, I traveled to Scotland where I found that they received a letter from Bristol dated March 1st containing a report of a premature celebration in England of the repeal of the Stamp Act. Although the repeal was official on March 16, early readings in Parliament of the repeal bill gave notice that it would happen soon. “Never was joy more general or citizens hearts more sensibly touched than ours on Monday last on hearing the favourable turn of the American affairs. The bells throughout the city rang incessantly…”
~The Traveler
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.
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
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.
The Traveler… Martin Luther King… voted in but can’t… first woman…
January 18, 2016 by The Traveler · 2 Comments
With today being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was trying to find something pertaining to him. In the January 20, 1966 issue of The New York Times I found a small article stating that he was sending his top aide to Birmingham “…to help organize demonstrations protesting alleged voter registration 
discrimination…” Also, “…At the same time a call went out from Dr. King’s headquarters in Atlanta for a meeting next week of civil rights leaders… to map strategy for mass demonstrations against segregated Southern schools…”.
Also in the issue is a nearly full page advertisement for the support of African-American congressman Julian Bond, who was voted into Georgia’s House of Representative after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But the state representatives voted 184-12 not to seat him due to his affiliation with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He took this matter to higher courts in order to be seated. The advertisement reads “Negroes have died for the right to vote in Georgia. Now they are saying, what good does it do to get the vote, to elect representatives, if those elected must face ‘attitude tests’ and loyalty oaths?” This includes list of names of his supporters including: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Woody Allen; Mr. & Mrs. Harry Belafonte; Diahann Carroll; Sidney Poitier; Dr. Benjamin Spock to name a few.
The first woman prime minister to India had been chosen, Mrs. Indira Nehru Gandhi, only the third Prime Minister to head India. She was the second woman in modern history to head a government.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… give it up for the second time, with a little help…
December 21, 2015 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Edinburgh by the way of The Edinburgh Advertiser dated December 20, 1765. There I found an account of a New Hamsphire stamp agent by the name of George Meserve being forced to resign for the second time. “…that Mr. Messerve, notwithstanding his late verbal resignation, determined to execute his office…about 400 resolute men, well equipped…Their purpose was to demand of Mr. Messerve a more explicit resignation…the repeated assurances from the Council, that the bale of stamped paper should not be opened…that they would never use them on any account, disarmed the populace of all their resentment…The stamped papers sent for the use of this province are lodged in the fort at Newcastle where they are to remain as a dead inactive lump of matter…”
~The Traveler
So you wanna go back to Egypt? Ocean rescue methods…
December 10, 2015 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The Bible tells of the historical account of the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in The Promised Land. At one point, as their trek became particularly challenging, some began to grumble and complain – going so far as to attempt a coup in order to turn the wagon-train around and head back to Egypt – to slavery… to oppression… to strife… to the very misery which had caused them to cry themselves to sleep night-after-night as they called out to God for deliverance. How could they have so quickly forgotten? Yet, are we any different? Our brains have a tendency to filter the bad from our memory banks to allow our occasional backward glances to fall upon the good. If we’ve learned to walk through life with an acknowledgement of ever-present blessing and with a heart-deep gratitude for the very breath of life, this filtering-process can be healing and redemptive to our soul – perhaps even treasured as a gift from our Creator. However, when we walk with our heads down – with thoughts of dissatisfaction poisoning our minds and morsels of entitlement chaffing our lips, what was designed to be sweet-nostalgia turns into quite the bitter pill – causing us to forget just how great it is to live in the present. How sad.
BUT – In an effort to right the ship for some, reinforce good thinking in others, and foster a positive outlook regarding the present for all, we will occasionally post a newspaper article, image, or clip from the past to help remind us of how good it is to live in the 21st Century. Our first selection is a print from a late-19th century issue of Scientific American Supplement which depicts a rather precarious method for rescuing distressed air-travelers at sea – or was it air-travelers rescuing seafarers (???). Please enjoy – or better yet, allow it to nurture a thankful heart for contemporary travel methods and rescue techniques. 
The Traveler… 13th Amendment ratified…
December 7, 2015 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to New York City by the way of the New York Tribune (December 7, 1865). The headlines: “The Constitutional Amendment”, “It Is Adopted”, “The Twenty-Seventh State”, “Freemen To Be Protected” were all reporting: “The Constitutional Amendment has passed each branch of the Legislature. The House passed a resolution instructing the Judiciary Committee to report a bill to protect persons of African descent in their persons and property, and also to allow them to testify in cases in which they may be interested.”
This abolished slavery in the United States.
~The Traveler
A December stroll thru time – 50, 100, 150, 200, & 250 years ago…
December 3, 2015 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
What news was reported in the month of December – 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.