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The Declaration of Independence – Jefferson’s Original Draft…
July 14, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Question of the day… Who recognizes the following quote?
“He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. The opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain, determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this excusable commerce and that this assemblage of might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also intrude them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the Liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.”
If you had asked me a week ago (on July 4th), I would have had no idea. However, as of noon the following day I’ll never forget it. The above quote is from the original draft of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson had penned these passionate words denouncing slavery in the original draft. Sadly, delegates from 2 of the 13 colonies would not sign the “declaration” if they were included. Playing the long-game, Jefferson removed them from the first draft with the hope of fighting another day. As I searched the internet for the exact wording, I became distressed when I could not easily find the text from this brilliantly written outcry against evil. What if these exact words were lost to we the people… the common folk? Then, as if by a miracle (albeit with a small “m”), as I was looking through a Harper’s Weekly dated July 8, 1876, I discovered: “FAC-SIMILE OF THE ORIGINAL DRAUGHT BY JEFFERSON OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” within the rarely-included Supplement. I immediately scanned for what I knew to be the opening line of this “missing” portion… “He has waged cruel war against human nature itself…”, and voilà, there it was! History preserved in a Harper’s Weekly for all to see. I breathed a sigh, slid it into a protective folder, and laid it gently on my desk. Yet another reason why I love this job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS Based upon what is known about Jefferson’s personal “ownership” of slaves, some may argue his thoughts were hypocritical (or at least blatantly insincere). Perhaps they are right… or, perhaps such an assessment is a bit more complicated. Regardless, it is nice to know many of our Founders wanted to end this inhumane institution. 
The reason I collected it: The Semi-Weekly Argus from Washington Territory…
July 10, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
“The Semi-Weekly Argus” of Port Townsend, Washington Territory, July 7, 1873, might seem like an ordinary issue with typical content of the day. However the most intriguing aspect of the edition is not the data nor its content; it’s the paper upon which it is printed. It is yellow.
On rare occasions, newspaper publishers had to deviate from the traditional newsprint with which we are familiar, when necessity required an alternative. In such situations “necessity paper” was used, the term for whenever an issue was printed on anything non-traditional.
Given Port Townsend’s relative remoteness in the Northwest, I would suspect supply routes were often questionable a best, particularly with this date being 16 years before statehood.
We have encountered newspapers printed on paper with a wide assortment of colors, as well as wrapping paper, cornhusk paper, wallpaper, lined notebook paper. tissue paper, etc. Such editions were typically very short-lived, perhaps a few days at best, until supply chains could be re-established.
Here is a great example of the use of “necessity paper” and a visually prominent addition to any collection.
The question for freedom… the Underground Railroad…
July 7, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Down the hill from my house is a backcountry lane called Freedom Road. As my 6 children were growing up, I loved telling them stories of an Underground Railroad stop in the old barn across from our house and how the escaped slaves, after a short respite from their journey, would then travel down the hill to continue along their road to freedom. How fitting a name and how moving a story – especially to children who could gaze across the street and imagine the historical efforts of humble, brave and noble locals being played out in their own neighborhood. Imagine my delight when I found a rare mention of the Underground Railroad in an October 6, 1854, New York Tribune. As Tim Hughes often reminds us, “History is never more fascinating then when it is read from the day it was first reported”… or when it is in your own backyard.
Summer Vibes full of Patriotic Celebrations…
July 3, 2023 by LauraH · 2 Comments
Trendy words come and go as the decades slip by but some words have more staying power. I would submit “vibes” is one of these words. In today’s culture, according to my kiddos, “feels” is an alternative option, but in my humble-but-20th-century-tainted-opinon, not a full replacement. “Summer Vibes” is what I experienced today while paging through a Life Magazine from July 3, 1913. Patriotism flows through the vibe of Summer beginning on Memorial Day with the gratitude we all feel for the fallen heroic patriots from the past, continues through Independence Day as we reflect upon our ancestors who “brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, and culminates on Labor Day where we honor those who have put their shoulder to the grindstone to build this great country and solidify her strength among nations. So, as we flow through the Summer with its peaceful spirit-lifting aura while soaking in all the “feels” we get from each firework, laughing child, and chirping cricket, let’s also pause now and again with grateful hearts for those who did and continue to do the hard work which allows us the lazy “vibes” of summer.
Repurposing at its best… Bindings from bound volumes…
June 26, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Nearly 50 years ago Tim Hughes stepped into the world of rare newspapers and sold an issue to his 1st collector. From the beginning, Tim and now the rest of the staff here at RareNewspapers have been helping lovers of history complete everything on their wants lists from casual interests to once in a lifetime bucket list item. As we prepare each issue for our website or catalog, we carefully work to restore it to its original condition. This task takes time and attention to detail as institutions would often combine a months or years worth of issues, binding them into volumes for easier storage (like a book). These volumes range in size from a Gentleman’s Magazine to a New York Times. In the day-to-day searching and restoring, we began to realize we had other sorts of treasures in our hands. These institutions often used beautiful bindings and whimsical paper to secure these historically valuable issues and it seemed a shame to toss the “packaging” aside. And so, we have begun to try and find people who are as delighted with the artistic beauty of these antique items as our current collectors are enthralled with the historical issues found within these well-worn bindings. Wanting to share all we do with our collecting family; we created a video to show what we are creating and now offering on Etsy. I hope you enjoy these items as much as we do, or can at least appreciate our careful repurposing of beautiful items from a bygone era.
New Inventory ALERT: John Lennon’s Death Report from where he was killed…
June 23, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
At Rare & Early Newspapers, we often have the privilege of procuring collectible newspapers from all over the world. Usually, Tim Hughes or my husband (Guy Heilenman) will speak with a dealer, library, museum or a person who was digging through their grandparent’s attic, and before long treasures will show up on our doorstep. We feel it is a bit like Christmas. Every now and again, a seller will come to visit us and bring their issues in person. Such was the case this week when a very sweet and gracious gentleman brought us issues of the NEW YORK POST dated Dec. 9, 1980 which contained coverage of John Lennon’s tragic death at the hands of “a screwball” (see photo below). We were thrilled to procure these issues for 2 reasons. First, we now have newspapers reporting his death from both the city where he died and the city where in he born (LIVERPOOL) – forming a truly unique 2-issue set for collectors of John Lennon/Beatles memorabilia. Secondly, while this content may not interest all of our collecting family, we are always on the hunt to expand the variety of the collectible newspapers within our archives… satisfying our continual quest to find items spanning all collectible interests.
The Legacy of Cassius Clay… Could it be in the Name?
June 19, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
While looking through an October 25, 1862 issue of Harper’s Weekly, a tiny paragraph on the 2nd page caught my eye. Titled “NO HANGING MATTER”, this article began:“Mr. Cassius M. Clay was born in a slave State, and early convinced that slavery was wrong, he has manfully advocated emancipation in Kentucky; and has been universally known as one of the most valiant of the anti02-slavery orators.” Wondering if the mother of Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) knew the legacy with whom she was identifying when she named her baby boy, a quick bit of research online answered my question. Not only was she aware of the connection, but she purposefully chose the name because of this 1800’s abolitionist hero. Crossing both racial barriers and nearly 200 years, these 2 men both established lasting legacies.
Sometimes, the most delightful finds in our newspapers are the small, unexpected, little gems that give new insight into people of the past and the present – and in this particular instance, this “text” was discovered hiding in a title known for its illustrations.
June Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
June 16, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The reason I collected it: Predicting the 21st century from a perch in 1929…
June 12, 2023 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Who hasn’t given some thought to what life would be like in 50 years, or 75 years. A few enterprising newspaper publishers have as well, and the Daily Mail of London, January 1, 2000 is a great–and quite rare–example.
You see, this is actually a newspaper published in 1928. This is a futurist newspaper. We’ve handled a few, but they are exceedingly scarce. It was printed based on their perception of what life, news, entertainment, politics, and culture would be like 72 years in the future. What is most intriguing is that this future date is already in our distant past, so it is interesting to see what people in 1928 thought life would be like in 2000. In general, their hopes would prove to be disappointing to any reader who might have lived until 2000.
From beginning to end, this 24-page tabloid-size newspaper is all about the future. It had to be an exhausting project, but it certainly resulted in a most intriguing addition to any newspaper collection. 
Einstein… Smarter than a 5th grader?
June 9, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
To even ask such a question seems a bit absurd, but let’s double it. What about a 10th grader?
As reported on the front page of the May 16, 1952 issue of The New York Times, the 70-something “genius” Albert Einstein was put to the test. How did he do? He received an A+ for kindness, and, using today’s measuring stick where everyone is a winner, he posted another high score for effort. As for his answer… go to the NYT link above to find out if he was able to go toe-to-toe with a question given to a group of 15-year-olds.
Spoiler alert! In all fairness Dr. Einstein, rumor has it the question was listed under the “Challenging Questions” portion of their assignment.