Warnings of climatic changes…

June 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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With much attention today given to climatic change and how mankind is affecting weather patterns around the globe, it was interesting to find this article in the  “Daily State Journal” newspaper from Austin Texas, May 10, 1871. The article paints a rosier picture in terms of mankind’s affect on climate than most environmentalists do today…

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Filed under: Old West Era, Post Civil War, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 15, 1861

June 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

The front page of this June 15, 1861 Harper’s Weekly has a dramatic illustration showing the shooting of Col. Ellsworth in Alexandria, the first conspicuous death in the Civil War. We had read of Ellsworth’s heroics to take  down the Confederate flag atop the Marshall House in Alexandria, but he was shot down by owner when descending the stairs. This print certainly brings the event to life.

There are many war-related prints in today’s issue including three of scenes at Fort Pickens in Florida.  The centerfold print has a nice view showing the City of Cairo, Illinois with many troops in the foreground, and also has a print showing a tremendous cavalry charge through Fairfax Court House in Virginia. Yet another print in the centerfold showing many soldiers digging a trench at Arlington Heights. It must have been a massive undertaking as it appears over 5 feet deep and 10 feet wide. Obviously there is more to fighting a war than firing rifles & guns.

Other prints show camp scenes at Freeport, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan as well as St. Louis, Missouri. Yet another camp near Washington shows small buildings which must have been the soldiers’ huts. I would have  thought only tents were used.

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Filed under: Civil War, Harper's Weekly, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby, Yankee
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For a good cause… preserving our Civil War heritage…

June 13, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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While Rare Newspapers does not typically promote causes from this platform, we do have a collector friend who brought to our attention an item which will likely be of great interest to the History’s Newsstand family.  The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, America’s Premier Regional Civil War Battlefield Preservation Organization, is participating in a contest, which if victorious, would provide them with $25,000 to be used toward their battlefield preservation efforts.  All they need is your vote.  For additional information regarding how you can help, go to http://www.cvbt.org/.  It only takes a few seconds to vote.

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Filed under: Announcements, Civil War, Confederate, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community, Yankee
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He could cure almost anything…

June 11, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Advertisements for physicians have certainly changed much over the last  270 years. This ad for “Richard Rock, Practitioner in Physick and Surgery” has a curious list of ailments he treats. This ad appears in the March 30, 1734 issue (and others) of “The Country Journal or the Craftsman” from London. Note that he keeps officers hours of 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m…

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Filed under: The 1700's, Uncategorized, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 8, 1861

June 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

The front page (of the June 8, 1861 issue) has a great print of the “Uniforms of the Fifth Regiment N.Y. Vols…” showing them in garb with very baggy trousers and interesting headgear. I never fail to be amazed at the variety of uniforms worn during the war! Had “Harper’s Weekly” never existed I would not have known of this fascinating variety. There is another nice full page on the “Zouave” soldiers, showing four scenes of “Ellsworth’s Zouaves” in camp, showing them relaxing by their tents, “Getting Rations” and “Cooking Dinner” among other scenes.

Another one of the great map is found in the centerfold, this one being simply terrific! It shows much of Eastern portion of the United States south of Baltimore including the cities of Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh Savannah and even the Florida peninsula. It is a somewhat three-dimensional rather than topographical map, showing the dramatic cliffs of the Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry. I’ll keep this map handy as I read of war events in the daily newspapers.

Many more war-related prints are inside, including a nice full page of “Sherman’s Battery of Light Artillery”. This print has a nice print of one of the cannons used in the war.

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Filed under: Civil War, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby, Yankee
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The Traveler… “The Little Belt Affair”… Bonaparte putting up a “smoke front”…

June 6, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today’s travels landed on a nice surprise! The Middlesex Gazette dated June 6, 1811 carries a lengthy letter by Commodore John Rodgers to the Secretary of the Navy dated May 23, 1811.  This was referencing a confrontation between his frigate and a Britannic which at first would not identify itself, and then was revealed to be Little Belt. This incident furthered the tension between Britain and the United States which led to the War of 1812.

Also in this issue is the reporting that Bonaparte had established a public Manufactory of Tobacco and Snuff. This would be carried on by “a particular committee for the benefit of the public chest, or in other words for his own benefit, and that no private individual shall in future be concerned in the manufacture of these articles…” He would control what type and where all the tobacco would be purchased, etc.  Does it sound a little self-serving??

~The Traveler

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Filed under: Pre Civil War, The 19th Century, The Hobby, Uncategorized, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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Wish I had one of these…

June 4, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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This “Improved Velocipede” made its debut in the May 2, 1891 issue of “Scientific American“. It had to be as unusual a site in 1891 as it would be today. It looks like it would have been fun to ride…

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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 1, 1861

June 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

Today’s edition, June 1, 1861, has a great illustration of “Major-General Benjamin F. Butler” and a biography of him. After reading so much about him–and other military officers–it’s very nice to see prints of them. Butler appears to be an older man than I would have suspected.

A full page print of the “Cabinet of the Confederate States at Montgomery” includes familiar & unfamiliar names, although if this war drags on much longer I suspect all will be familiar to us in the North. Included are their President, Jefferson Davis, and Vice President Stephens.

A print of a well fortified “Fort Pulaski” in the Savannah River of Georgia is supplemented by a drawing of one of the ten inch guns within the fort–simply huge! I can only imagine the destructive power  it must create.  The centerfold has several prints including “The Military Occupation of Baltimore” showing an encampment at Federal Hill, plus a print of the “City of Montgomery Alabama” showing slaves cultivating in the foreground with the skyline just beyond the river. The capitol of the Confederacy must be the imposing building on the left. There is also an inset of “The White House at Montgomery”, a much smaller residence than the White House in Washington.

Another print shows the Patent Office in Washington turned into a bunkhouse for troops from Rhode Island, rifles stacked at the end of the bunks. Another print shows: “Drumming out Albany Volunteers who Refused to Take the Oath”. As the article reads they are: “…stripped of their arms, a white feather stuck over each ear (because they are chicken?), & they were marched out of the  Armory grounds with the drums playing the Rogue’s March. Crowds of people assembled to see them undergo the degrading penance.” There is also a nice print of the armory at Albany. What an imposing sight, almost castle-like.

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Filed under: Civil War, Harper's Weekly, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby, Yankee
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Hawaii’s first “regular” newspaper…

May 30, 2011 by · 2 Comments 
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In a previous post we discussed the first newspaper in Hawaii was essentially a student newspaper, titled “Ka Lama Hawaii” (The Hawaiian Luminary), done by Protestant missionaries at their school at Lahainaluna on the island of Maui. But it was just a few months later when the second newspaper in Hawaii–and considered the first “regular” newspaper on the islands–was published. “Ke Kumu Hawaii” began publication on Nov. 12, 1834 (some references cite an October beginning which cannot be verified).

We were fortunate to bring into our inventory the volume one, number two issue of this title, dated Nov. 26, 1834. Very similar in size to “Ka Lama Hawaii” it contains 8 pages, 6 of which are in the Hawaiian language. Rather than a student, or school newspaper, this was a regular newspaper for the general public.

We provide photos of this very rare newspaper for our friends to enjoy.

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Filed under: Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Pre Civil War, The Hobby
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Today’s Front Pages… a nice newspaper app…

May 28, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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A newspaper collector recently brought to our attention a nice newspaper-related app:

“For iPhone and  iPad users there is a fantastic App for collectors. The Newseum has an App called Today’s Front Pages. It has a full page photo of every major and most minor papers in the US and many foreign papers for that current day. So on the day a major event hits the news I can check all the major papers or the paper where the event occurred and see if the page is something I want. You can only check the current day. Even many small town papers are represented including the Sun-Gazette. Great for collectors!” Steve. K.

While the majority of collectors wait for history to prove-out which headlines are worthy of collecting, this app will allow those on the cutting edge of future collectible to be a bit more proactive.  I’ve already downloaded the (free) app for use.  You can as well at:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/todays-front-pages/id418572455?mt=8

Thanks Steve.  If your interest still remains in past events, feel free to browse headlines through time at:  www.rarenewspapers.com

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