Collecting Newspapers – The Basics (Part I) – Eras, Topics, and Titles…

February 24, 2025 by  
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We, (Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers), have been offering old and historic newspapers to the collecting community since 1976, with Tim’s first acquisition for his own personal collection taking place in 1975. For those who are either unfamiliar with or new to this amazing hobby, today we are kicking off a revisit of a series of posts, “Collecting Newspapers – The Basics”, to serve en masse as a Primer for those interested in learning more about the collectible. The first installment (below) may appear to be a bit self-serving, but the heart behind it is simply to let seekers know the span of topics and types of newspapers which can be found.

So, what can be found on the pages of Rare & Early Newspapers? While the possibilities are nearly endless, a sampling includes:

Eras: Colonial, Early 1800’s Americana, Reconstruction, Industrial Revolution, Old West, Victorian, Roaring 20’s, “The 60’s”, and similar, plus an abundance of war-eras (French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Texas-Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, etc.). Some prefer to collect by centuries (1600’s, 1700’s, 1800’s, 1900’s, and now, even the 2000’s).

Topics: Black Americana, Mormon, Gangsters & Outlaws, Judaica, Sports & Entertainment, Inventors & Inventions, Gunfights, Deaths of the Famous, Politics, Presidents, Proclamations, Amendments, Historic SCOTUS Decisions, Trials & Tragedies, Slavery, Famous 1sts & Records, Movie Premiers, Famous Illustrators, and more.

Titles: Oxford/London Gazette, Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s, Scientific American, Gentleman’s Magazine, London Gazette, Village Voice, Sporting News, and nearly 1,000 other newspaper titles from throughout the United States, along with dozens specifically from the Old West and Colonial eras. Rare & unusual titles are also desirable.

People: Pick any famous person from the 1600’s through 20th century, regardless of the genre or genres for which they are known, newspapers will have undoubtedly recorded what brought their name into public awareness.

Historical Events: Without making a feeble attempt to list examples, if an event has an historical bent, not only will newspapers have recorded it, but they will have done so within the context of the period in which it happened. This is one of the reasons why many writers of both non-fiction and historical fiction seek newspapers from the time and (if possible) location of when and where an event took place. Newspapers make wonderful source material.

These and additional collecting themes can be found on the homepage of RareNewspapers.com. Also take note of the “View All Categories” tab on the right side towards the bottom of the page. If you don’t see what you are looking for, let us know. Our effort to add links to the collecting interests of those who appreciate old newspapers is ongoing.

Additional collecting themes/ideas can also be found throughout this Blog.

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Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby
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