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Beyond the historic headline…
November 1, 2012 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
“Newspapers that shaped the world…“
Some of the better & more fascinating items found in old newspapers are not the most historic or significant, but rather the casual appearance of seemingly innocuous reports which excite collecting interest beyond the historic headline or dramatic presentation which are the more usual draw.
Much of what intrigues collectors can be lost within the body of reports, yet they tell a story of their own, such as the patriotic fervor of some colonist during the Revolutionary War. I recall an issue of the Edinburgh Evening Courant of June, 1776 reporting on American soldiers: “…Their uniform is a dark grey coarse linen frock, which covers the whole body…with the words, ‘Death or Liberty’ marked in large red letters on the right sleeve; and many of them are so enthusiastic as to have them marked with their own blood…”. This report is almost lost on page 3 yet its message is very telling of the spirit which caused the Americans to win the war against a world power despite insurmountable odds.
Some reports are fascinating by their bias. A Richmond newspaper of July, 1863 reporting on the Battle of Gettysburg notes: “…The Confederates did not gain a victory, neither did the enemy. He succeeded in defending himself & we failed in some portions of an attack…We killed more of the enemy than we lost; we took very many more prisoners than lost. The Confederate army did not leave the enemy until it had tried every link of his armour…” Another newspaper notes: “ ..Information, certainly authentic, is in the hands of the Government, which leaves no doubt of the safety & triumph of the noble army. General Lee was victorious in all the combats which have taken place. He has been engaged with the whole force of the United States & has broken its backbone…”, Perhaps the most extraordinary example of optimism appeared in the Richmond Examiner of July 25: “…The result was not a defeat, it was not a loss; it was only not a victory…It was little else than a disappointment of extraordinary expectations…”. What a precious statement as an example of Confederate optimism.
Other little gems were very prophetic in their reporting, particularly when read with an historic perspective. A Scottish newspaper from 1775 sensed a lasting war with America as it reflected on the Battle of Bunker: “…The mischiefs which have already arisen & the greater calamities which are threatened from the unnatural war excited in America…It is impossible we can see, without the utmost alarm, preparations making for the prosecution of an expensive & ruinous war with our own Colonies…”. Some can be very recent, like the New York Times comment on rookie Mickey Mantle in 1951: “…Mantle, who gives every promise of developing into an outstanding baseball star, was ordered to report to his draft board next Wednesday…” An editorial comment in the Army & Navy Journal just after the Gettysburg Address opined: “…a dedicatory speech by President Lincoln, which we give in full, as decidedly the best feature of the occasion, as well as one of the most felicitous utterances of its author.” How true.
Some were prophetic even when the reports were simply wrong, like the Illustrated American article of 1898 reporting on “A New Flying Machine That Flies”–five years before the Wright brothers–when it said: “…It is impossible to imagine without terror the day when these mechanical birds, these flying apparitions, will be able to rain upon armies, hostile towns and escalating parties most deadly and most destructive explosives…”. How true it would become.
There can be much to be found in newspapers beyond the headline. What a thrill it is to discover such hidden gems; reports that have escaped hundreds of years of history only to rediscovered with new-found relevance today. Such are just some of the joys of collecting early newspapers.
Please enjoy: “Newspapers that shaped the world…“
Announcing…
October 29, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Two special events related to the Rare & Early Newspapers collectible are scheduled for this week:
1) A long time collector of historic newspapers, Todd Andrlik, has written a book which is sure to quickly become a classic within the hobby, “Reporting The Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News”, which tells the story of the Revolutionary War through the eyes of the newspapers of the period. Todd used authentic newspapers from the period… putting into practice what has been stated many times at History’s Newsstand: “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day it was 1st reported.” The link below will take you to Amazon’s “Look Inside” and will give you the opportunity to pre-order a copy through Wednesday, and direct order starting Thursday. Thanks Todd.
“Reporting The Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News”
2) “Newspapers that shaped the world…“, a special edition catalog from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers, is also scheduled to be released on Thursday, at 12:01 AM ET, on November 1, 2012. While the following link shows items from our previous catalog, as of 12:01, it will take you to the release of what may be our most notable catalog to-date.
“Newspapers that shaped the world…“
Countdown to “Newspapers that changed the world…”
October 24, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Each month Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers releases a catalog containing a new set of historic and collectible newspapers (1600′s through 20th century). However, on November 1, 2012, at 12:01 AM ET, the special edition, “Newspapers that changed the world…” will be released. Whether you already collect newspapers, or desire to simply view a sampling of what the hobby has to offer, check back for this special occasion:
Prior to November 1, 2012 and after November 30, 2012, the link below will take you to the most recent offerings of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers… History’s Newsstand! During the month of November it will take you to the special release catalog, “Newspapers that changed the world”.
View: “Newspapers that changed the world…“
October newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 16, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Each mid-month Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers… History’s Newsstand sends an e-newsletter to their members and collector friends. This month’s edition is shown below. Please enjoy.
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Rare Newspapers found on The Freedom Trail…
April 30, 2011 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
As of April 15, 2011, the historic Freedom Trail welcomed Boston area’s 1st authentic colonial era print shop, The Printing Office of Edes & Gill. While visiting, patrons will have the opportunity to engage living historians working their printers trade in pre-revolutionary Boston. These same printers were at the vanguard of citizen angst over British governmental policies that Bostonians felt violated their rights as Englishmen. They offer unique personal encounters with history and colonial printing. If you have the opportunity to visit Boston, make sure to pay a visit to this great new addition, located along the Freedom Trail at the historic Clough House, which is owned by and conveniently located adjacent to Old North Church. While there, look for a few Rare & Early Newspapers from our archives. In the meantime, enjoy their new website: The Printing Office of Edes & Gill
Exploring the world of old paper…
June 12, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Marty Weil, a freelance writer and journalist, maintains the informative blog, “ephemera… exploring the world of old paper“. Today he is featuring a guest post from our very own Tim Hughes. To view the post, go to “Old Newspapers as a Collectible“. Thanks Marty, for expanding the ephemera world’s understanding of historic and collectible newspapers.
About Marty Weil: He has written more than 250 magazine features on a variety of subjects. Articles written by Marty Weil have appeared in more than two dozen publications, including Fortune, Managing Automation, Antique Week, APICS, and Scholastic Administrator. Previously, he was the President of Weil Marketing Communications Inc., a successful high-tech PR consulting firm. He is a graduate of Illinois State University.
The plight of newspapers & its impact on the hobby…
April 20, 2009 by TimHughes · 3 Comments
In recent years–and to a greater degree recent months–we’ve been hearing about the demise of the newspaper, at least that edition which has appeared on newsstands & doorsteps for many generations. Much blame goes to the internet and our increasingly digital society, although the proliferation of cable news, now available 24 hours a day, shares in the blame as well.
For us hobbyists, who have collected the “hard copy” while they are still rolling off the presses across America, what will the impact be if print editions die off completely?
If the past is any example I would suggest there will be heightened interest in collecting newspapers. Much of what is popular today in the collecting world are items which are now obsolete: phonograph records, old telephones, mustache cups, treadle sewing machines, and on and on. While one school of thought is that interest is heightened once an item is no longer produced, another thought is that collecting interest will fade when they are no longer produced. How many thousands of items which have faded from memory & long ago ceased production are not on the “radar” of collectors?
Let hear of your thoughts. You are the collectors; your passion and holdings may well be impacted one way or the other if current newspapers cease publication. How do you think this could impact the hobby?
Collectible Magazines… Rich West… Periodyssey…
April 1, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Although Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers’ archives contain nearly every issue of Gentleman’s Magazine, Harper’s Weekly (actually an illustrated newspaper), Harper’s Monthly, The Sporting News, and a selection of others (Liberty Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Scribner’s, etc.), including many of these and others beyond what is posted on the Rare & Early Newspapers website, the Timothy Hughes of magazine collecting is Rich West of Periodyssey. He operates with integrity, has an incredible inventory of magazines to offer, and is the most knowledgeable resource in the field of magazine collectibles. Lou Kahn and his daughter Tammy Kahn Fennell recently interviewed Rich for Collectibles Corner TV. Feel free to enjoy the entire video or advance to the 5 minute mark to catch only the portion of the show containing the interview with Rich. Rumor has it they’ll be doing a follow-up interview with Rich West shortly. Please Enjoy:
Episode #9 – Occupied Japan, Provenance, Antique Quilts, American Periodicals, Rich West of Periodyssey
Meet the staff: Doreen Mileto… Office Manager Extraordinaire…
December 17, 2008 by GuyHeilenman · 4 Comments
Doreen – Office Manager
Doreen is typically the first and front-line person to make personal contact with you, whether it is by phone or by email. Her life at Rare Newspapers is never boring as it is comprised of all types of duties… a true “Girl-Friday” (woman-Friday???). First and foremost, she is the office manager. She also takes and processes customer orders. She answers messages that are received through both the regular email and the eBay message board. Another aspect her job is the writing of item descriptions and photographing issues for the website, as time prevails.
Playing “sleuth” is another role that she undertakes.
“One of my greatest pleasures is in finding hidden family treasures for our clients which have been buried within our archives for decades… just waiting to be found. When time permits, I put on my detective’s hat and head to the stacks. It’s also a disappointment when the need content cannot be located. I hate to disappoint.” Doreen
The most difficult task asked of her is when someone wants her to “select something for them”, i.e, a recommendation. The rare newspaper hobby is so varied, and is grounded so deeply within a person’s personal interests, making such selections is almost impossible.
As for the more personal side of Doreen… She is a wife, a mother of two, a grandmother of three, and a person who simply enjoys life to the fullest. She belongs to a small group of women who love to sing at various church events, and takes great pleasure in reaching out to the local community.
Doreen at work…
One of the greatest drawbacks of having Doreen on staff is her incredible ability to bake some of the most scrumptious cakes, pies, etc., and has a propensity for “celebrating” every possible staff birthday, holiday, anniversary, and more. We’ve all had to double our exercising efforts to burn off the calories, and if you’ve kept an eye on our annual staff photos, you can see some of us have had only minor success.
Doreen is a treat to have as part of the Rare Newspapers’ Team! She is truly my right arm… and perhaps a little of my left.
Meet the Staff – Timothy J. Hughes – Founder
September 17, 2008 by GuyHeilenman · 17 Comments
Much can be read and said about Tim Hughes, the collector:
- He began collecting coins as a child and quickly became disgruntled with the exuberant prices, which led him to search for an unexploited but interesting collectible. It was this search which helped launch his interest in and love for rare newspapers.
“I wanted to find a hobby that dealt with old things that hadn’t been exploited, that people really didn’t know much about. My thinking was that if it was a hobby that hadn’t been exploited, the prices would be fairly right.”
- He began Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers in 1976, working part-time from his home. By 1989, the business had grown such that he left his job with Little League Baseball to devote his efforts full-time to the collecting and selling of historic newspapers.
“Whatever money I made selling newspapers, I bought more. It just started snowballing. Eventually I needed to find another location and was able to secure the site of my father’s former saw-sharpening business. It brings me great pleasure to have built the business on the same spot which solicits fond memories of my childhood. My father, who contributes to the business on a part-time basis, still has the opportunity to see the reward of his labor.”
- During the next 20 years the business continued to grow – staff were added, warehouses were annexed to the existing facility, the private collection grew, and rare newspaper friends were made. Eventually Tim decided to sell a majority interest in the company to a group of investors from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Guy Heilenman was brought in as a part-owner and president, and received 9 months of intensive training from Tim. Although Tim’s intention was to retire, his love for the hobby proved to be too great. As a result, Tim continues to retain part ownership and works as a full-time consultant and part-time contributor to the daily activities of the business. His input is invaluable.
“I’ve always loved this. It’s something that I started from scratch on my own and because I loved it, it’s just been fun. I’ve been very fortunate. I consider myself one of the few people who really loves their work.”
But what about Tim Hughes, the person? He is a family man who dearly loves his wife (Chris) and son (Ben). He is a man of faith who pours himself regularly into the lives of the young people at his church. He continually looks for ways to give back to the community as evidenced by his current and past board appointments to Little League Baseball and North Central Sight Services (a non-profit association helping to meet the needs of the visually impaired). He is also a man of integrity and a loyal friend. Although his knowledge of the hobby is recognized around the world, his humility and love for the collectible continues to fuel ways to enhance the rare newspaper community.
His expertise, sincerity, loyalty and love of the hobby will all be reflected in his blog post contributions. We are both honored and privileged to have him.