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Golden Nuggets… yet another “find”…
May 25, 2015 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
At Rare & Early Newspapers we always enjoy hearing about the various “finds” that permeate the collectible. While most significant content is know before one purchases an issue to add to their collection, due to the nature of the hobby, golden nuggets cannot help but be buried, yet 
undiscovered, deep within the pages of a newspaper. In some instances, the discoveries are quite significant – that is, significant to all having a general knowledge of history. In other cases, the find might be a little more subtle – yet still worthy of bringing to light.
The following account was sent to us a few weeks back. Feel free to send along your own stories as well (send to guy@rarenewspapers.com).
You mentioned you like to hear about “finds”, in a group of 100 cheap
newspapers I bought from you folks probably many years ago I found a find. I have started to place my collection into all the same mylar holders and cataloging it into my computer one by one. [It was during this time] I came across a New York Tribune from August 12th, 1865 that was included in one of those $199 for 100 newspaper lots I purchased from you. The front page has a couple of interesting articles like the “Annexation” of Canada, which led up to their confederation in 1867. The most interesting was the hours old accounts of the Steamship Pewabic which collided with the Steamship Meteor on Lake Huron. As I recall I think it was either a National Geographic or Discovery channel show. When they discovered the ship that sank in 1865 it was perfectly preserved even the woodwork with the cold non salt waters of the Great Lakes.
It would have been better in a Detroit paper, but for $2, I certainly will not complain. I have probably purchased over a thousand newspapers and it took me this long to discover a neat find – maybe not great, but I am pleased. I probably purchased this lot in the mid to late 1990’s. Looking at your website, especially the warehouse photos, there is just too much material to read everything even with a good size staff.
Thanks T.C. for sharing your story with the Rare & Early Newspapers’ Family.
Ford’s Theater… then and now…
April 24, 2015 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
150 years ago, much of the nation was still reeling from the death of Abraham Lincoln. A mere 10 days previous time stood still and tears flowed freely at the news that the President had been killed. Did many travel to Washington, D.C. to mourn his passing? Did some visit the very site of his tragic and untimely demise to place a candle… flowers… mourn? The Philadelphia Enquirer, April 17, 1865, not on only printed a sketch of the captured John Wilkes Booth, but they also included a front-page schematic (right) of the back-alley escape route where a horse was waiting for the infamous villain and his accomplice. While the region has gone through several transformations over the course of the last 150 years, this same alley exists today. The current-day photo shown below was sent to us be a collector friend who also included the following note:
I have attached a picture of the rear of Ford’s Theater as it looks today (showing the original windows/doorways that have been bricked-up)…and I want to point out that the alleyway shown on that April 17th issue is incredibly, to this day, the only exit on the entire block and proportioned to what it was in that newspaper.
If you’ve never visited Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., it is certainly worth the trip.
Note: During my days as a Middle School Teacher, can anyone guess the most common question students asked upon visiting this spot during a school trip?
Ludicrous advertising in the late 1800’s…
March 20, 2015 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Hofstra University maintains a Facebook page where staff from their special collections department can post interesting finds. We recently discovered the following which illustrates one of the collecting strands of the hobby: sensational (or absurd) advertising:
Before heading out to Your New Year’s Eve Party…
December 31, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
While celebrating the onset of the New Year through alcohol-blurred eyes has become an international tradition for many, before heading out to this year’s party, perhaps a gander at Dr. Benjamin Rush’s well known “Moral & Physical Thermometer” from the 18th century is in order (see below). While this work certainly holds a degree of validity, I wasn’t aware God measured morality according to such a scale, and I’ve searched without success to find such a tool within His Word. Might Dr. Rush have been using a different translation – or was this creation garnered from years of observation??? đ Regardless, while no such measuring stick has been bestowed upon humanity by their Creator, taking heed to the inherit dangers of over-consumption and His warnings regarding drunkenness would be both a wise and safe way to begin the new year. The passengers and drivers of vehicles you’ll be passing on your way home thank you in advance. Cheers!
They sure don’t make’em like they used to…
December 12, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
How many things can you think of that are simply not made to the same quality standards as they once were? It would be fun to comprise such a list. However, when someone makes the statement, “They sure don’t make’em like they used to”, it is interesting to note the assumption that the object in question is no longer made as well. However, as the following article from a November 21, 1858 National Intelligencer reveals, thankfully, there are a few things which buck this assumption. Please enjoy… and feel free to send on your own list of things that are actually made better than they were in the past. Let’s transform this common phrase from a negative to a positive.
Note: The Hadley Falls Dam disaster (above), in what is currently Holyoke, Connecticut, drew considerable attention in the 19th century. In 1896, a Harperâs Weekly writer reflected, âThe engineer took great pride in his work, and when it was finished, and the gates shut down, he is said to have irreverently exclaimed: âThere! Those gates are shut, and God Almighty himself can not open them!ââ Yet another example of man underestimating the power of God… or perhaps overestimating his own. đ
Exploring newspapers, 1900-1949… Any Discoveries?
November 14, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · 3 Comments
A unique pleasure one often experiences from the collecting of Rare & Early Newspapers is the hidden nuggets found within nearly every issue. Whereas collectible newspapers are often purchased due to their historic headlines or perhaps their rarity, the undisclosed content –Â whether articles or ads – often provides intrigue and a historical perspective that go far beyond the original reason for seeking the issue.
With this in mind, let’s have some fun!
This post will serve as a home for collectors to brag about the non-headliner discoveries they’ve found within newspapers dated from 1900-1949. Share your finds. All we ask is for everyone to refrain from using this post as a means for offering collectible newspapers for sale. It’s intended to purely be a “no-agenda” platform for sharing one of the simple joys of collecting.
If you are new to the hobby (or already are a collector) and would like to join in the hunt, to help you get started we are offering a highly discounted set of 5 issues, one per decade, covering the 1st half of the 20th century. This offering may be viewed at: Five-Issue Set (1900-1949)
Government in action… yet another proud moment…
September 19, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
At first blush, this issue appears to be exactly what one might expect from a Government sponsored publication. However, upon closer inspection of the lower right corner, we soon realize… this is exactly what one might expect from a government sponsored publication. Somewhere, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are smiling. Please enjoy the cover of the April, 1944 issue of the U.S. Army-Navy Journal:
Jack the Ripper’s Identity Revealed?
September 27, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
While many are familiar with Jack the Ripper and are aware that his actual identity has never been confirmed, what may be surprising to some is how many “false alarms” have surfaced over the years. William Henry Bury is such an individual… or is he? Â An internet search will return much concerning this potential “Ripper”. Â I wonder if this case will ever be resolved to any degree of certainty??? Please enjoy the following report found in the Kansas City Daily Journal for February 12, 1889:
How often does a President admit he is wrong?
September 9, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The character of Abraham Lincoln, which has made him arguably the best President of the United States, has been the subject of many books. One bit of evidence can be found in the September 5, 1863 issue of the “Army & Navy Journal” which contains a famous letter to General U.S. Grant (see below).
In this remarkable letter, President Abraham Lincoln congratulates General Grant for an important victory — the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. Lincoln differed with Grant about how to handle the campaign, but when Grant pursued his own strategy successfully, Lincoln frankly admitted that Grant was right.
Always the pessimist…
April 12, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The “Allegany County Reporter” issue, dated July 28, 1887, with a lengthy article on the “Exhaustion of Petroleum” could have been written 5 years ago or 30 years ago, but in fact it was from 1887. Great evidence that pessimism was alive and well over a century ago. Enjoy the entire text of the article (shown below):