Search
The Rare & Early Newspapers Hobby
Receive the Newsletter
Buy Historic Newspapers
Just for fun! “Historical” Crossword Puzzle from 1931…
February 24, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We all have different interests. For example, some love to immerse themselves in history, while others prefer to plunge into crossword puzzles. But what about those who enjoy both? Can one explore the past by engaging in what I will call a (okay, “an”) historical crossword puzzle? It’s one thing to absorb a lot of knowledge about a particular time in history – and perusing through Rare & Early Newspapers from the period can certainly help the adventurer grasp how those who lived at the time perceived the world around them. However, learning to think as they did may be next to impossible. Language, available knowledge, education emphasis, social norms and variances, along with a plethora of other aspects of culture all combine to shape the way we think – and too much has changed. The quest to do so falls under the same umbrella as trying to walk in someone else’s shoes. For the sake of understanding we can do our best, but in the end, we know that while our efforts may be admirable, we can never come close to achieving the task.
Ok… too much seriousness for one post. Let’s have fun trying to think like someone who lived in the early 1930’s by indulging in a crossword puzzle printed in a Liberty (magazine), New York, dated January 31, 1931. I hope you enjoy the challenge.
Note: The answers can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. If you enjoy the adventure, let me know at guy@rarenewspapers.com. If enough respond affirmatively, we’ll post another from a different year.
Link to Answers
Catching Everyone By Suprise… A Valentine’s Day to Remember…
February 13, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Some holidays catch us by surprise. Countless men have either forgotten their wedding anniversary until it was either too late, or until the last minute when buying that “perfect gift” was no longer an option. So it is in spades with a more recently “invented” holiday: Valentine’s Day. While some refuse to be manipulated into yet another obligation to invest in the greeting card, flower and candy industries, yet others invent creative new ways to mark this wonderful day of romance and the celebration of love. Such was the case with Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1929. This mob hit, nicknamed The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, stumped police until more than 2 years later, and even then no one was formally charged. Hopefully, everyone this year will opt for flowers… and not the kind we see adorning graves as as we drive by our local cemetery. 
Snapshot 1941 – Crushing Debt’s Impact on Democracy…
February 10, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
With the U.S. national debt spiraling out of control, many economists are predicting the demise of this once (still?) great nation. Is this merely politics… fearmongering… crying wolf? Such concerns have been voiced as far back as when Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury and continue to this day. One such instance surfaced in 1941 and was chronicled in the Liberty Magazine dated February 15, 1941. These cries in the wilderness seeming fall on deaf ears without the doomsday predictions coming to fruition. However, the problem with apocalyptic events is thy have a tendency to be kept at bey… until one day there being viewed in the rear-view mirror with eyes welled up with regret. Let’s hope our generation is not the one shedding tears on behalf of our children and our children’s children.
Announcing: Catalog #327 for February, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers for collectors…
January 30, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
|
February’s catalog (#327) is now available. Also shown below are links to a video featuring highlights from the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.
|
[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
This Day in “News” History… January 23…
January 23, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
There are many internet sources available to explore what happened on a particular day in history. However, as collectors and resellers of “Rare & Early Newspapers”, our curiosity lies in what people were reading in their morning newspaper on specific days in history. In nearly every instance they were discovering what happened the day prior – and if one reaches back into the 1600s, 1700’s, and early 1800s, when news travelled a bit more slowly, they very well could have been (finally) reading about “rumored” and/or anticipated events from days, weeks, or even months prior.
As an example…
What about January 23rd? The following link will take you to all of our available newspapers dated January 23rd:
NEWS REPORTED in NEWSPAPERS on January 23rd (through time)
Enjoy the trek. Oh, and if you want to try other dates, go here and plug in any month/day of interest.
From Dreams to Reality… Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Paves the Way…
January 16, 2023 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
The start of a new year lends itself to daydreaming – of the future… of goals… of a better world. Much of the time these dreams fall by the wayside only to be replaced by a new focus or to be renewed at a later time. But sometimes dreams are so monumental and expansive they extend past the dreamer and are swept along by the tidal wave generated by the aspiration. Such is the case, I would argue, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream as stated on August 28, 1963. The work he began and the vision he cast extended well past his assassination as reported in the CHICAGO DAILY DEFENDER, April 6-12, 1968 (pictured to the right), and continued to move an entire country to a more congenial and “equal” state – one better reflecting the Founders’ dream: “We The People…!”. May we all strive for his dream for mankind with all the graciousness, boldness and humility he demonstrated, and may we work to construct such noble dreams as well.
Snapshot 1982… A “Feel Good” Story to Kick-Off the New Year…
January 6, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
As we all know, bad news sells. The medium (social media, television, newspapers, etc.) doesn’t matter, if something tragic happens, everyone grabs their camera (phone) and lawn chair and heads to the scene. However, an ongoing diet of bad news (and negativity in general) is not good for the soul. With this reality in mind, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to spend more time focusing on the good – and thankfully, while perusing newspapers within our archives, I came across a “feel good” story which I thought was worth sharing. I’ll let the article I unearthed in a South Bend Tribune (August 8, 1982) do the talking (see below).
For the record, upon visiting the young boy in the hospital, future Hall of Famer Jim Rice recognized the family was of modest means, so on his way out of the hospital he stopped by the Business Office and requested the bills be sent to him. What a true hero!
You can also read additional details here: Jim Rice Saves Young Boy’s Life
Announcing: Catalog #326 for January, 2023 – Rare & Early Newspapers for collectors…
January 2, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
|
|
[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
Resolutions… at the start of a New Year and Throughout Time…
December 30, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
It’s that time again. Some of us don’t want to admit it to others or even ourselves, but as the calender turns to the 1st of January, our minds naturally drift towards resolutions. I wonder if this impulse is built into human nature – the desire for a fresh start… to turn over a new leaf… to look forward to a new adventure pulled from one’s bucket list? As we consider what resolutions to write in pencil for the coming year, below are a few interesting “historical resolutions” to ponder. While I may have stretched the definition of “resolution” a bit, may our resolutions have as much staying power as these. Happy New Year and blessings on your new adventures.
April 1775 … The Gunpowder Incident… This report mentions: “…that the powder in the publick magazine, in the city of Williamsburg, deposited there at the expense of the country & for the use of the people in case of invasion or insurrection, has been secretly removed under the clouds of the night…by order of the Governor…came to the following resolution: Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that the removing the said gunpowder…is an insult to every freeman in this country…”
September 1774 … Historic Duché Letter to General Washington… Duché first came to the attention of the First Continental Congress in September, 1774, when he was summoned to Carpenters’ Hall to lead the opening prayers. When the United States Declaration of Independence was ratified, Duché, meeting with the church’s vestry, passed a resolution stating that the King George III’s name was no longer to be read in the prayers of the church. Duché complied, crossing out said prayers from his Book of Common Prayer, committing an act of treason against England, an extraordinary and dangerous act for a clergyman who had taken an oath of loyalty to the King.
February 1876 … National League Baseball Established… During the establishment of the National Baseball League, an interesting resolution was adopted… The report continues mentioning the passage of a resolution concerning “championship play” while the second resolution prevented “…any two clubs from playing in a city in which neither of them belongs.”
January 1991 … U.N. Resolutions for Desert Storm… individually significant headlines on Desert Storm: the beginning of the air war: “WAR!”; the beginning of the land war: “INVASION!” and the “VICTORY!” once Iraq conceded and agreed to all U.N. resolutions.
The Peace of Christmas… An image reminiscent of my own experience…
December 23, 2022 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
We each have those special moments in life which cause us to pause and breathe out the inner-tension we have allowed to build up over time. While rare, they are precious instances when all seems right with “the world” and a deep peace settles into our core – if only for a split second. This past week, I went looking for Christmas-themed prints at the behest of one our collectors, and as I paged through the LIBERTY magazine issues for the month of December, 1929, I came upon a cover which perfectly captured this sentiment. Viewing the warmth of the crackling fire, a couple snuggled together on a comfy couch while gazing at the perfect picture of peace, I felt warmth flow from my inner-most being as I reminisced about the similar setting my husband and I have been blessed to enjoy together on Christmas Eve over the past nearly 35 years (once the children were nestled and snug in their beds).
My hope and prayer is for you to experience similar core-deep breaths of peace in the midst of an often-hectic Christmas season.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Rare and Early Newspapers Family.