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Old Newspapers – Music to My Ears…
February 21, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
From my earliest memories I can picture an original (
“improved”) Edison Phonograph gracing my family home. My parents loved antiques, and at some point, along their collecting journey, they had stumbled upon this gem. Recently, while downsizing, this vintage treasure was sold to a collector in Australia who was beyond excited. As you can imagine, my parents’ “investment in history” did quite well. While I am sorry to see it go, I’m glad it found a home with someone who will delight in its presence as much as I did.
This walk down childhood lane was triggered while I was viewing one of our old listings of a SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN for Feb. 27, 1909. It sure made me smile as it warmed my heart. These old newspapers are wonderful storytellers and memory joggers, never ceasing to delight.
Scientific American & the Harlem River… 1890…
February 11, 2022 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
Growing up less than 50 miles from NYC, it was a regular occurrence for “us kids” to reach as far forward in the car as we could to be the first of the family to pass the paint mark on the Lincoln Tunnel walls delineating the New York/New Jersey boundary. Along with the iconic skyline and the Statue of Liberty, tunnels and bridges defined the vista of any excursion to Manhattan.
Today’s jaunt into the Scientific American reminded me of those childhood outings and had me scouring old maps to discern the changes wrought in the waterway systems for the development of metropolitan New York. This publication, filled with inventions and botanical discoveries, also chronicles the many arenas of civil engineering foresight and ingenuity. Those examples of “aging infrastructure” so hotly debated in the political arena of today, were the marvels of yesterday. Without computer models, before construction vehicles, absent the communication methods of today, great changes were made to the natural landscape in order to accommodate the iconic center of commerce.
An article in the March 22, 1890, Supplement to Scientific American describes “The Harlem River Improvement and Ship Canal” — a project that lasted thirteen years and cost over $200,000. Many political, geological, and legal difficulties are described, along with evaluation of decisions made, as well as alternate proposed solutions. The detail is fascinating, even to someone who has no understanding of the impact rivers and railroads have on commerce and industry. In fact, it never occurred to me that rivers are moved, straightened or even deepened in order to make them more useful. And I wonder what today’s civil engineers think of the building strictures from over one hundred years ago.
The laws of May 20, 1879, provides that all bridges hereafter to be constructed over this channel shall be at right angles to its courses, and that the bridges at the draws shall not be less than 24 feet above high water of spring tide, and that no tunnel shall be constructed under it which will not permit the excavation of a 20-foot channel.
Sometimes We Miss It – Isidor Louis… 1870’s San Diego…
February 7, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
After 47 years as both a collector and reseller of “Rare & Early” newspapers, you can imagine we have unearthed a ton of historical content. However, Every now and then we are reminded that, “Sometimes we miss it”. Today a customer called after purchasing an issue of The San Diego Union to let us know he found a fascinating ad on the front page of his issue. For those who love 19th century California history, there was an early citizen of Jewish descent who had an enormous entrepreneur’s spirit. Isidor Louis had many irons in the fire and was advertising one of his first ventures on the frontpage of the newspaper. Interestingly, his son later became the city editor for the San Diego Sun. Have we piqued your interest? Do a little investigating of Isidor for yourself. Are you wondering how we had an image of the ad after we had already sold the paper? Perhaps we have uncovered others. As a lesson learned, it always pays to read the fine print … in case we missed it.
They put it in print – an 1877 opinion of The Press…
January 6, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Sometimes a picture says it all. The illustration below was printed in a Harper’s Weekly dated June 2, 1877, but left undated some might think it is a recent print. Do these “1000 words” from the 19th century, in fact, have staying power? You decide.
Announcing: Catalog #314 (for January, 2022) is now available…
December 31, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Catalog 314 (in its entirety)
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Noteworthy Catalog 314 ($250+)
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Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
Announcing: Catalog #313 (for December, 2021) is now available…
December 3, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Catalog 313 (in its entirety)
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Noteworthy Catalog 313 ($250+)
-
Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
Fascinating Conspiracies (Episode 1) – The Lincoln Conspirators…
October 21, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Sometimes it is difficult to determine if a person really is a philosopher. So it is with the author of the profound statement, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you”. Philosophical or lyrical, it is the perfect jumping off point for a short series on more obscure conspiracies in American History. Sure, we have all heard of John Wilks Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. Perhaps we have even heard of George Atzerodt, who conspired with Booth to assassinate Lincoln and Johnson however, there are others that will most defiantly leave you a bit slack-jawed if not curious. To begin our series, let’s start with our 16th President and those who colluded to bring about his demise. Booth’s main conspirators, George Atzerodt, David Herold, Lewis Powell and Mary Surratt had their own press coverage, even if they were not quite as infamous as the malicious actor Booth, but reading their confessions and stories can bring this horrific event into clearer focus. So, hopefully you will enjoy reading these Lincoln Conspiracy issues… and, until next time, remember the wise words of Kurt Cobain and keep looking over your shoulder.
Announcing: Catalog #311 (for October, 2021) is now available…
October 1, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 311 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 311 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
Announcing: Catalog #310 (for September, 2021) is now available…
September 3, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 310 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 310 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days,
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.
Daniel Webster – “Defender of the Constitution”…
August 27, 2021 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment
Daniel Webster, “Defender of the Constitution,” needs no introduction to the collectors of Rare & Early Newspapers. A search of his name on the Rare & Early Newspapers website brings up over 25 active listings (select “view details” to see the Webster content), including an illustration of his residence, the text of his, “Liberty and Union, now and for ever, one and inseparable!“ speech, and the black-bordered notice of his death.
Among these, however, there is no mention of the six page biography contained in the August 1867 Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. Prompted by the publication of The Private Correspondence of Daniel Webster, this unsigned submission reflects on the character of the great man. Of greatest impact to me is the refrain that Webster was the same refined, organized, gentleman in private as he was in public. And, it seems it was his self-proclaimed standard. “So rigidly had he adhered to the rule he frequently avowed in his lifetime–never to write anything which he would not be willing to see in print the next morning — that scarcely was there a letter which even delicacy could withhold from the public eye.”
I was fortunate to read this account firsthand, to fill in many details in this larger-than-life figure of American history. His impact covered three presidencies, and his correspondence –saturated with wisdom and reason– was prolific. That said, I feel compelled to share a larger than usual portion from the actual text.
No view of this man is at all complete unless regard be had to his love of the grand and beautiful in nature…It has been said: “his face warmed to a fine tree as to the face of a friend.” The most noticeable feature, it may be, of the Correspondence is the general silence that pervades it concerning the author’s own efforts. While all other tongues are sounding of his exploits, his is still. Or if he breaks the silence, he does so with such moderation and modesty that refinement even could not torture the allusion into a ray of vanity.
Note: Many of his speeches were printed within contemporary newspapers and are often available upon request.