Discovering the eloquence of Washington…

October 14, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

One of the benefits of collecting notable newspapers is not only the joy of finding an historically significant report–like Washington’s proclamation announcing the formal end of hostilities with England–but appreciating the eloquence of our leaders of years past.  With all our modern intelligence & computer-enabled resources at our fingertips, it seems like the simple skill of writing has been lost with our generation.

The referenced event was recently discovered in the “Pennsylvania Journal & Weekly Advertiser” newspaper of April 30, 1783. Page two contains this very historic report, but of equal fascination is the wording of the document. He congratulates the Army, noting that those who have performed the “…meanest office…” have participated in a great drama “…on the stage of human affairs…For these are the men who ought to be considered as the pride and boast of the American Army; And, who crowned with well earned laurels, may soon withdraw from the field of Glory, to the more tranquil walks of civil life…Nothing now remains but for the actors of this mighty Scene to preserve a perfect, unvarying, consistency of character through the very last act; to close the Drama with applause; and to retire from the Military Theatre with the same approbation of Angels and men which have crowned all their former virtuous actions.” There is evidence of Washington’s less formal and more pedestrian side as well as he ends the document with: “An extra ration of liquor to be issued to every man tomorrow, to drink Perpetual Peace, Independence and Happiness to the United States of America.” See this hyperlink for the full text (or the text of the actual newspaper below).

What a thrill to find such a document which has rested on our shelves for many years just waiting to be discovered. What a thrill to be involved in such a fascinating hobby.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Common Questions, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Revolutionary War, The 1700's, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, Valuation of Issues
Tagged: , , ,

Framing and Storing Newspapers… the ongoing story…

October 11, 2013 by · 1 Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

From time to time collector friends pass along to us their suggestions as to how to best store or frame newspapers. The most recent such suggestion involved framing the newspapers while still within their archival storage folder. The following images show the technique:

Thanks E.O. for your contribution to the collecting community. Other related previous posts include:

Framing newspapers…

Frame to see all four pages…

What is the best way to preserve and store newspapers?

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The Collectible Community, The Hobby
Tagged: ,

The Traveler… “Don’t give up the ship”…

October 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Today I journeyed to Baltimore, Maryland, through The Weekly Register (dated October 9, 1813).  As Commodore Perry commenced battle on Lake Erie, he raised a flag with the infamous words “Don’t give up the ship” on it. “…They speak of the battle as being one of the hottest ever fought…” (see below).

In the report of the Battle on Lake Ontario, Commodore Chauncey references the news of the battle on Lake Erie. “…There is a report here, and generally believed, that Capt. Perry has captured the whole of the enemy’s fleet on lake Erie. If this should prove true in all its details (and God grant that it may) he has immortalised himself and not disappointed the high expectations formed of his talents and bravery…”

~The Traveler

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The Hobby, The War of 1812, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , , , , , ,

The first newspapers in Vermont…

October 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Vermont was the first state to join the union outside of the original thirteen colonies, although in a sense they were always a part of the federal union. The territory of present-day Vermont was previously divided among the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New  York.

The first newspaper in Vermont was the “Vermont Gazette, and Green Mountain Post-Boy” done in Westminster, first published on February 12, 1781. Only one of this issue exists and is in the Vermont Historical Society. Its first newspaper began later than all of the other first newspapers of the original 13 states. The weekly newspaper only lasted until 1783, published by Judah Spooner and Timothy Green, the latter of the famous family of printers from New England.

It is notable that Vermont’s first newspaper was printed on the famous “Daye Press”, brought from England by Stephen Daye in 1638 and set up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The press came into the possession of Harvard College in 1656, and in 1714 it became the property of Timothy Greene, who took it to New London, Conn., later set up in Norwich, Conn. by Alden Spooner, and in 1781 it was moved to Westminster, Vermont.

The second newspaper in Vermont was founded on August 7, 1783 titled the “Vermont Journal & the Universal Advertiser” printed in Windsor by the partnership of Alden Spooner and George Hough. The newspaper continued publishing into the 20th century.

Other 18th century Vermont titles included “Herald of Vermont“, Rutland, 1792; “Rutland Herald“, 1794; “Fair Haven Gazette“, 1795; “Farmer’s Library“, Fair Haven, 1795; “Burlington Mercury“, 1796; and “Federal Galaxy“, Brattleboro, 1797.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Pre Civil War, The 1700's, The Hobby, Valuation of Issues
Tagged: , , , ,

Historic newspapers… entering on the ground floor of a collectible…

September 30, 2013 by · 2 Comments 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

In the world of collectables, early newspapers by no means rank among the most well-known of hobbies. In fact most would be surprised that it even is a hobby.  Who knows anyone who collects early newspapers?

That was exactly my thought nearly 40 years ago. Having been a coin collector since I was a kid, I knew that hobby well. I knew it well enough to recognize that no bargains could be had for the truly rare coins. Coin collecting was, and is, a well exploited hobby. The number of serious collectors must run in the hundreds of thousands with a proportionate number of dealers who make a living selling coins. So as a youngster with only grass-cutting money in my pocket, it didn’t take long to become frustrated when trying to find the last few desirable coins to fill out a set. I simply could not afford them. Everyone knew they were rare, and with more people wanting them than inventory allowed, prices were beyond my reach.

I liked collecting and I wanted a hobby that dealt with history. Holding a coin minted during the time when Lincoln was President, or when Indian battles were still raging on the Plains, intrigued me. I felt like I was touching history. But I needed a collectable that was yet to be exploited. One which few people were involved in.  More importantly, one where I could hope to amass a reasonably nice collection without breaking the bank.

So it was by accident that while browsing through a local flea market that I came across a Philadelphia newspaper from 1846. I was intrigued, not only by the price–$3—but by what I would get. Quickly my mind ran through the host of various coins from 1846 which would require more than ten times the price tag, and what do you get but a hunk of medal with a date & an image of a dead President? A coin could be fully examined in seconds. But this 1846 newspaper would take half an hour to absorb.  So $3 exchanged hands and the newspaper was mine.

Handling this newspaper was better than touching history. Yes, someone in 1846 held this newspaper in their hands, just like coins of the era, but this collectable actually CONTAINED history. News of the day, including events of the Mexican-American War, were within its four pages. Political reports from the term of James K. Polk were scattered throughout. Even the advertisements were fascinating.

I was hooked. The coin collection went on a shelf and I pursued whatever old newspaper I could find. It didn’t take long to discover a whole new world of collectables. Better yet, because so few people were collecting old newspapers prices seemed such a bargain compared to what coins or stamps or any other collectable with similar rarity would cost. I was convinced I got in on the ground floor.

As the years passed my hobby turned into a business catering to a niche market. At best I would suspect there are less than 2000 serious collectors of rare newspapers. Compare that number to the world of stamps, coins, books, or autographs, which hundreds of thousands consider their hobby.

A hobby still yet to be discovered by the collecting world, prices remain attractive for the most modest of budgets. Consider that a genuine New York Times in very nice condition from 1863 with front page Civil War reports sells for less than $30. Or consider that a genuine London Gazette from 1680—a 330+ year old newspaper—is available for under $50. Of course content certainly drives interest and price so a newspaper reporting the Battle of Gettysburg can exceed $500, while the same in a Confederate title (much more rare) could be triple the price. But still, genuine issues covering the War of 1812 sell for $25; newspapers with Indian battles are under $35; issues with baseball reports from the 1880‘s can be had for $25; newspapers from during the administration of George Washington for $45. Is there a hobby where genuine items of comparable vintage are at comparable prices? Certainly not.

Rare newspaper collecting is a fascinating world which awaits any historical hobbyist. Whatever event or era in history intrigues, newspapers covered those events.  From the Great Plague of London in 1666, to reports of pirates Blackbeard and Capt. Kidd, to the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the Texas War for Independence, every presidential election & inauguration (and death), the outlaws of the West—you name it. Newspapers exist which document those occurrences and every other transforming event in American & world history.

Don’t just touch history with your hobby. Read history from the very day it was reported. You, too, will be hooked on a hobby you never knew existed.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Common Questions, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Sports, The 1500's - 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community
Tagged: , , , , , ,

Jack the Ripper’s Identity Revealed?

September 27, 2013 by · 1 Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

While many are familiar with Jack the Ripper and are aware that his actual identity has never been confirmed, what may be surprising to some is how many “false alarms” have surfaced over the years. William Henry Bury is such an individual… or is he?  An internet search will return much concerning this potential “Ripper”.  I wonder if this case will ever be resolved to any degree of certainty??? Please enjoy the following report found in the Kansas City Daily Journal for February 12, 1889:

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Food for Thought, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Post Civil War, The Hobby, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , , , ,

A video look at Rare & Early Newspapers – revisted…

September 23, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Over the past 10 years we (RareNewspapers.com) have put together a series of videos designed to help educate novices about the hobby of collecting historic newspapers.  While some may be a smidge old (compared to today’s high-tech standards), the information within is still pertinent. Pick a topic of interest, turn up the volume, and enjoy our perspective on the collectible.

Collecting 20th Century Authentic Newspapers

Enhance Your Sports Collectible with Historic Ne…

Collecting Scientific American Issues w/ Historic Content

Collecting 19th Century Authentic Newspapers

Original Wild West Era Newspapers – Rare Newspapers

Meet the Staff of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers

Harper’s Weekly & The Civil War – Illustrated Collectibles!

The History of Rare & Historic Newspapers & The Hobby!

Collecting 18th Century (and earlier) Authentic Newspapers

The Rare Newspapers’ Private Collection – Collecting Ideas

Rare Newspapers as an Educational Tool

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Civil War, Collecting Newspapers, Colonial, Common Questions, Confederate, Harper's Weekly, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Old West Era, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, Revolutionary War, Sports, The 1500's, The 1600's, The 1700's, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community, The War of 1812, Winslow Homer, Yankee
Tagged: , , ,

Baseball game won by 2 1/2 to 2…

September 20, 2013 by · 2 Comments 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

The “Bethlehem Globe-Times“, Pennsylvania, newspaper of August 4, 1937 has a curious some article about a baseball game in 1893, as told by an elderly gentlemen who was involved in the game some 44 years previous. It provides some interesting reading, although I’m not convinced it actually happened. What do you think?

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Post Civil War, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , , , ,

The Traveler… Birmingham church bombings… and baby makes how many?

September 16, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

Today I traveled to New York City through The New York Times (dated September 16, 1963). There I found the headlines “Birmingham Bomb Kills 4 Negro Girls in Church; Boy Slain in Protest Riot”. This bombing occurred five days after the desegregation of three previously all-white schools in Birmingham, in which President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and the Federal Courts issued a sweeping order again Governor Wallace due to his defiance. This church was the same one which was used as the staging point for anti-segregation demonstrations led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in May of that year. Dr. King was reported to be coming to Birmingham to “plead with my people to remain non-violent in the face of this terrible provocation”.

The front page also was providing an update on a special birth that was reported the previous day. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Fischer delivered quintuplets, four girls and one boy. They had five children at home, ages 3 1/2 to 7 years! I did a little research on them and found that they also had one more child after the quints too.  The quints were the second surviving set to be born in the Western Hemisphere and the first to be born in the United States.

~The Traveler

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , , , ,

Trenton as the nation’s capital in 1799…

September 13, 2013 by · 2 Comments 
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

A small news bit inconspicuously located on page 2 of the “Columbian Centinel” newspaper from Boston, dated  October 19, 1799, struck me as being in error: “The President of the United States arrived at the seat of government, (Trenton) in good health.” Or so I thought. While history tells us that the seat of government had moved from New York to Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. during this period, it appears in fact that the federal government did remove itself from Philadelphia (to Trenton) for a brief time in 1799 to escape the Yellow Fever epidemic in that city. But to my surprise there is very little on the internet about it. There are several sites which provide some detail about Trenton being the nation’s capital for 54 days in 1784, but just two sites have a passing reference to the 1799 event. There is no mention as to exactly when or for how long. Can anyone provide more detail? Surprisingly even the sites of the city of Trenton offer no help.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, The 1700's, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , , , ,

« Previous Page — Next Page »