Search
The Rare & Early Newspapers Hobby
Receive the Newsletter
Buy Historic Newspapers
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”…
December 13, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The world-famous article shown below appeared in THE (New York) SUN on September 21, 1897. It is certainly one of the most challenging issues to collect as few are known to exist. It has been said this may very well be the most recognized editorial of all time. Found on page 6 and headed: “Is There a Santa Claus?”, this is the famous “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial written by Francis Pharcellus Church, a sardonic Columbia College graduate & veteran Sun writer, he produced a masterpiece in fewer than 500 words.
Although the letter from Virginia and the famous response by Church have become well known (translated into 20 languages), few would know the prefacing paragraph which immediately precedes Virginia’s letter: “We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:…” and then Virginia’s letter and Church’s response.
The famous phrase “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…” begins the second paragraph, and the letter closes with: “…No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”
The press tracked Virginia until her retirement as a 70-year-old school teacher, while Church remained anonymous as the author until his death in 1906.
As for Church, he was a hardened cynic and an atheist who had little patience for superstitious beliefs, did not want to write the editorial, and refused to allow his name to be attached to the piece. More than a century later, it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language. This reality is a great reminder to all of us to always give our best effort, even when we don’t necessarily agree with those whom are in authority over us – moral conflicts accepted.
So, for a few brief moments let’s set aside the weight of “enlightenment” which is pressed upon us by virtue of adulthood and attempt to appreciate the sweet exchange between a “cynical” journalist and a curious, yet innocent, young girl. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ALL!
Capturing the Vibe… Christmas 1903…
December 8, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Welcome to the 2nd post in our ongoing series “Capturing the Vibe” where we try to imagine what the world felt like to a newspaper reader from the past by immersing ourselves in their … “vibe of the day”. This month I was drawn to Illustrated Magazines as Christmas is right around the corner, and they usually offer a plethora of wintery images. 1903 was on a low shelf and so it called my name.
So, on we go with this month’s issue…
Sometimes the December 1900’s colored covers are Christmas related and sometimes they are just beautiful!
Even though the color cover wasn’t Christmassy, the inside cover was full of Winter spirit.
On a somber note, I found a fascinating article comparing Feast-days with Fast-days … not something you hear in conversations of our days.
On a somewhat lighter note, I saw a multiple cell comic strip on “Pledges of Purity for the New Year”.
There was an article and intricate image of the New Williamsburg Bridge Christening in New York City…
A story by Robert Chambers…
and finally, a political Santa cartoon by W.A. Rogers who took over for Thomas Nast when he left Harper’s Weekly.
I count this find as an issue full of Christmas gifts!!
“Black Friday” goes viral…
November 24, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Have you ever been in a room and said something funny and no one seemed to hear or if they did, they didn’t respond until someone else repeated your witty remark and then the room burst into laughter? My youngest daughter (youngest of 6) voices her frustration with this sibling scenario regularly. Apparently, “the louder (and older?) speaker gets the laugh” phenomenon is not my witty daughter’s alone to bear. On November 24, 1975, The New York Times carried an article describing the Friday after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday”. From this “appearance” forward the name took hold and across the country Black Friday became a recognizable label for the day after Thanksgiving. Ironically, other city papers had used this jargon before, however, it wasn’t until the New York Times took up the banner that the term was seared in people’s vocabulary. I have to wonder, was there some reporter from Philadelphia out there feeling the same frustration my daughter feels on a regular basis?
November/Thanksgiving Newsletter – Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
November 20, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
Welcome to the November/Thanksgiving (2023) edition of our monthly newsletter. Understanding the busyness of the season as Thanksgiving (U.S.) rapidly approaches, I’ll make every effort to be brief. However, please do not miss out on this month’s highlights:
|
Happy Thanksgiving, 2023…
November 17, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Each year as Thanksgiving approaches my thoughts (rightfully) bend a knee in the direction of gratitude which I try to express, for better or worse, in a simple post. In so-doing, while the feedback has been generally positive, on occasion I have been accused of being rather verbose, loquacious, over-talkative, etc., when what I tried to communicate could have been delivered with a higher degree of eloquence with considerably less long-windedness (i.e., I can be a bit wordy). In an effort to reign in this default behavior, in expressing this year’s thoughts I’ve elected to let a series of photos taken from a single issue of Harper’s Weekly from 1900 do the talking. I hope you find them thought-provoking. 
Happy Thanksgiving!
By the way, if pictures really do say a thousand words, success! My verbose, loquacious, over-talkative streak lives on!!!
Some comic relief should be found in every collection… Early parachute attempt in 1785…
November 13, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
There seems to be a preponderance of tragic, dismal events that dominate our collections. After all, they tend to be very historic and life-altering. Think of all the “great” wars, various assassinations, the Titanic, Lusitania, & Hindenburg, and so much more.
So the occasional report with comic overtones can be refreshing. I recently wrote up an issue of the London Chronicle, July 14, 1785, with American content, but it also contains on the back page a very early parachute demonstration that went awry.
The report concerning a man who scheduled a parachute demonstration at the Blanchard Aerostatic Academy in England, planning to: “…let himself down from a prodigious altitude, and to manifest his composure by playing on a violin during his descent. To fulfill these promises, the ingenious operator had provided machinery, by which he might have been raised about 45 feet!
When the time arrived, he, with his Cremona [high-quality violin], entered the vehicle, and was raised with infinite precaution…”.
Okay, read the article to see how it plays out.
Reprinted Newspapers – Identified as of 1931…
November 10, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In 1931, Joseph Gavit, the senior librarian at the New York Public Library, published a list of known newspaper reprints: “A List Of American Newspaper Reprints”. This well-known but seldom found 16 page booklet begins: “This is an attempt to bring together, in one list, notes on all the complete separate reproductions of early or historic issues of American newspapers…”, with more to follow. At the time the list included nearly 150 reprint editions. Although the list has grown to more than 500 editions, most of the more common reprints were identified by Gavit.
We’ve created a listing “For Information Purposes Only” on the Rare & Early Newspapers website which includes photos of his work. We hope you find it useful.
An expanded list of newspaper reprints can be explored at Common Reprints – several which can be explored through this Blog by searching for “reprint“.
The reason I collected it: The John-Donkey – 1848…
October 30, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
While historic events & people–whether they be tragic, heroic, or celebratory–are the domain for most collectors, venturing out of this arena into the small world of comic and satire magazines can be a refreshing change.
This title is a great example, and in my 47 years of collecting newspapers this is the only issue I have encountered. It lasted but 29 weekly issues in 1848. Its significance is such that Frank L. Mott, in his book “A History of American Magazines, 1741-1850”, devoted a chapter to this title.
A few comments from his book include: “…John-Donkey always maintained the tradition of his stupidity… he claimed only to be stupid and was continually trying to prove his stupidity…Most of John-Donkey’s articles, long and short, were satires upon contemporary events or fads, upon organizations, movements, and persons. Politics were prominent…The first page of each issue bore a series of pictures of John Donkey himself in various attitudes…Each number contained a political cartoon, full pate in size, and printed on an unbacked leaf [the print in this issue of ‘The Pennsylvania Thimble-Rigger’, blank on the reverse]… It is very probable that the seven libel suits filed against the John-Donkey in May had something to do with its demise…”. The photos below is of the issue dated March 11, 1848 – the one I collected.
October Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 20, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
|
Bad Luck vs. Fate – The Sullivan Brothers…
October 13, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Today is Friday – more specifically, Friday the 13th. I’m not superstitious or a fatalist, and I’m not quite sure what I think about “the luck of the Irish”, and even if it does exist on some level, whether or not Irish-Americans have it (or is it washed away in the salt water of Atlantic during transit. Quite honestly, I try to limit my exposure to bad news. However, a few weeks ago one of our staff brought me a 1943 newspaper containing an article regarding the dreadful story of the Sullivan Brothers during WWII. While the event was immortalized in the movie “The Fighting Sullivans”, and inspired drama “Saving Private Ryan”, there is no better way to capture this horrible moment than reading it as it was reported in 1943. A clip of the article is shown below, and more may be viewed through the link: Five Sullivan Brothers Killed in WWII Action. Was it fate, bad luck (of the Irish?), or something entirely different? Regardless, one thing is for certain, it was horribly tragic!