The Traveler… Perrone explodes… Hoffa and Kennedy… Twin Towers plans…
January 20, 2014 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Detroit through The Detroit Free Press dated January 20, 1964. There I found the bold headlines dealing with the mafia figure Santo Perrone who’s legs were serious injured in a car bombing incident. This includes photos of his car, now in twisted metal.
Also on the front page is the reporting of Jimmy Hoffa’s lawyers seeking to have Attorney General Robert Kennedy called to testify at Hoffa’s upcoming trial for jury tampering. “…If Kennedy tried to claim immunity because of his Cabinet post, Berke said, the defense would ask Chattanooga Federal Judge Frank W. Wilson to ‘use whatever power he has to compel attendance…'”
Inside the issue, I also found “World’s Tallest buildings are planned in New York…” This is in reference to the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center and includes the illustration of them as well.
~The Traveler
Just for fun… the month of January through time…
January 10, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I thought it might be fun to take a look at historic newspapers from a different perspective – the month of January through time. The issues have been arranged in chronological order, most recent first. It is interesting to see the varied events which have made the news to start the year over the centuries. Please enjoy.
January Newspaper Reporting Through Time
The Traveler… Oklahoma ship sinks… suing from beyond the grave…
January 6, 2014 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I journeyed through Omaha, Nebraska, via The Omaha Daily Bee of January 6, 1914. The issue had the report of the oil tanker Steamer Oklahoma splitting in two and sinking south of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Several of the crew had perished in this disaster while others were rescued by other ships.
Another article is one of the Supreme Court handing down a decision permitting Miss Florence Schenck, who had died just a few hours earlier, to prosecute a suit against Charles H. Wilson to vindicate her good name. Mr. Wilson had induced her years earlier to marry him in a ceremony in England. She later found that he already had a wife living in England as well and was suing for damages.
~The Traveler
#25 – Best of the 20th century? (*revisited)
January 3, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
As newspaper collectors we dream of “the event” we’d like to add to our collection. It’s the search for that issue–or issues–which make this a fascinating hobby. This is, after all, a very visual hobby. How displayable are stamps and coins? Huge headlines proclaiming a cataclysmic event or magnificent achievement lend themselves so well to display, much more so than an original document about the event.
The 20th century had a great wealth of interesting events. But what is the best? If you could only make one choice, what single headline of the 20th century would you most want to see in your collection?
I wrestle with how to approach this thought: most life-altering? most recognizable? most historic? most appealing for display? I believe the first Wright brothers’ flight is the most life-altering; “Dewey Defeats” Truman” as the most recognizable; and a great “Titanic Sinks” report as the most displayable. Some newspapers did much with the events of the gangster era, and certainly the “careers” of Bonnie & Clyde, John Dillinger and Al Capone are well known and significant reports would be attention-grabbers on any wall. On a more positive note there are some spectacular “V-E Day” and “V-J Day” issues celebrating the end of World War II. But limiting myself to just a single issue I would take “Titanic Sinks”. ….what’s your thought?
*The Fall of 2013 marked the 5th anniversary of the History’s Newsstand Blog by Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. We are grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the newspaper collecting community, and appreciate those who have participated through guest posts, comments, and readership. In 2014 we will revisit the top 25 posts (measured by activity), with the number 1 post being revisited during the first week of 2015. Please enjoy. If you would like to contribute a post for consideration of inclusion on the blog, please contact Guy Heilenman at guy@rarenewspapers.com.
A New Year’s Retrospective thru Historic Newspapers…
December 31, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Pinterest has certainly become a wonderful forum for sharing favorite pictures, recipes, ideas, and more. While most historic and rare newspapers are known more for content rather than images, illustrated newspapers, especially from the 19th and early 20th centuries, are quite striking. Below please find a link to a collection of such original newspapers centered around a New Year’s theme. Please enjoy.
A New Year’s Retrospective thru Historic Newspapers…
The Traveler… give all for son… radium for cancer… “yuletide and goodwill”…
December 16, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today’s journeys brought me to San Francisco via The Call dated December 16, 1913. The reporting of General Terrazas being willing to offer himself as a human sacrifice to General Villa for his son. This was in regards to General Villa’s treatment to the people in Chihuahua.
The back page of the issue had a report “Cancer Now Cured by Radium”. “…The power of the rays of radium over cancer is not only wonderful, it is appalling almost unbelievable…”.
The front page contains an article pertaining to the recently recover Mona Lisa painting and an interesting story of an undertaker that was arrested for beating a man that blocked a funeral procession.
In closing, the “Christmas Ship Brings ‘Yuletide and Goodwill'” relates of three passengers on the list of the Anchor line steamer California. They were the Rev. James Yule, Robert Tide and Miss Helen Goodwill.
I wish health and happiest to all. Merry Christmas!
~ The Traveler
What about three wrongs making a right?
December 6, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Finishing out our month-long tribute to the memory of John F. Kennedy, today we look at what may have been the closing chapter of the tragic death-sequence which began on November 22, 1963 with the assassination of JFK, advanced to November 23, 1963 with the shooting and death of Lee Harvey Oswald, and culminated on January 3, 1967 with the passing of death-row inmate, Jack Ruby. Many to this day are convinced that all three deaths are rife with conspiracy. Perhaps time will prove them to be correct.
Finding newspapers on the death of Ruby are quite difficult as the event was not deemed significant by most, and many institutions were no longer saving their newspapers for year-end binding – choosing instead to store them on microfiche to conserve precious storage space. However, every now and then one turns up. Please enjoy (?) the January 3, 1967 report as it appeared in The Parsons Sun (Kansas): The Death of Jack Ruby
Civil War era reflections on Thanksgiving…
November 28, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Since we are in the midst of the 150 anniversary of the Civil War, we thought some might enjoy exploring the mention of thanksgiving (holiday and otherwise) within CW era issues arranged in chronological order. The issues may be viewed at:
Thanksgiving through the Civil War
Happy Thanksgiving!
Guy Heilenman
Do two wrongs (occasionally) make a right?
November 25, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Fifty years ago today scores of Americans awoke in their William Levitt-style home (or similar), slipped on their robe and slippers, and headed out to their front drive to pick up the morning paper. Within moments they were sipping their cup of coffee as they opened their newspaper to discover that Lee Harvey Oswald, the destroyer of American innocence, had been shot and killed. While the spontaneous emotional reaction of many may have betrayed their parent’s Biblically-charged rearing that two wrongs don’t make a right, somehow this morning’s news never found a way to fill the hole left by the events of just a few days prior – the assassination of JFK… their beloved president. This event was captured well on the front page of the same newspaper which had brought horrific news on November 23, 1963: Lee Harvey Oswald Shot & Killed
Perhaps someday we’ll know the truth behind all that occurred during this infamous week in American history.
The Traveler… the nation mourns…
November 22, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
This week I traveled to Dallas, Texas, via The Dallas Morning News (November 23, 1963). There I found the headline that saddened this great nation, “Kennedy Slain On Dallas Street”. One article headline reads “Gray clouds went away – Day Began as Auspiciously As Any in Kennedy’s Career” but at half past noon, lives would be forever changed when the first shot from the book depository rang out.
I was in first grade when this occurred, and still remember our custodian, Ralph, knocking on our window and telling my teacher, Miss Snyder, that the President had just been shot. He was on the way to the flagpole to lower it to half mast. Some events will stay vividly with you for a lifetime.
~The Traveler
AS a sidebar… Over the years various lists have circulated comparing Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. The response to the uncanny similarities provided by Snopes is worth reading: Snopes on Lincoln/Kennedy Comparison




