Waiting to be discovered…

February 9, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 
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The History Channel has sparked much interest in events of the past which otherwise have gone unnoticed through the years. Whether it’s a biography of notable name, a little-known yet significant war battle, or a political event which had notable consequences years later, it’s not uncommon for us to receive calls from hopeful collectors wanting a period account of the event. Many times we are successful in the search, other times not.

Occasionally present-day events noting an anniversary or discovery spark similar interest. We have noticed a significant interest in Abraham Lincoln material with the approach of the 200th anniversary of his birth. And the very recent discovery of the British ship “H.M.S. Victory” got even us intrigued about the possibility of finding a 1744 newspaper or magazine reporting its loss.

As a bit of background, a report dated February 5, 2009 from the “Best Syndication News” service brought this event into the 21st century with its breaking news reading:

“The HMS Victory ship sunk in stormy seas back in 1744 but it wasn’t until this week, when an American company called Odyssey discovered what they call “the most significant shipwreck discovery in history.” The HMS Victory was a warship that had a crew of around 1,100 that died when it went underwater. The estimated treasures with gold coins and artifacts could be worth potentially $1 billion. The Odyssey company is undergoing a legal battle to allow them to recover the treasures and artifacts. Because the HMS Victory is a military ship she is the property of the British government according to the laws of marine salvaging.”

As luck would have it we were successful. Keeping in mind that there were no survivors, details were obviously sketchy back then, but both the October and November issues of the “Gentleman’s Magazine” reflected upon the disaster.

All of us, as collectors, literary keep history on our shelves. Who knows when the next discovery might relate to an innocuous report in one of your newspapers.  Have you discovered in one of your issues an item brought to light by present-day events? Such finds are always fascinating–it’s part of the intrigue of the hobby.

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He should have known better…

February 7, 2009 by · 1 Comment 
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Just for fun…

Sometimes it can take 75 years for a tinge of humor to be found in a tragic report, such as the one in the photo. The headline certainly makes one ask: what was he thinking???

This appeared on the front page of the COLDWATER DAILY REPORTER newspaper, Michigan, Sept. 21, 1934.

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From the private collection: first newspaper in North Dakota…

February 5, 2009 by · 3 Comments 
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The FRONTIER SCOUT is considered to be the very first newspaper printed in what is now North Dakota. In 1864 two soldiers named Robert Winegar and Ira Goodwin issued at Fort Union a newspaper with this title, but only FOUR numbers were published at Fort Union. The Frontier Scout appeared again with a dateline of “Fort Rice, D.T.” in June of 1865 with Capt. E.G. Adams as the editor and Lieut. C.H. Champney as publisher. It is not know to have continued after 1865.

The first successful newspaper didn’t appear in North Dakota until the TRIBUNE of Bismarck began in 1873, to be followed  less than a year later by the EXPRESS in Fargo.

We are pleased to share with our collectors our issue of the FRONTIER SCOUT dated Sept. 7, 1865, the volume 1, number 13 issue. This newspaper measures just 8 by 12 1/2 inches and curiously is printed on blue-lined ledger paper. Such “necessity” paper was not uncommon in remote areas where regular newsprint was unavailable or very difficult to secure. Since it was published by military men much of the content has a military theme (see photos), although there is an eclectic mix of poetry, “local items” and literary items as well. Much of the back page is taken up with an excellent account of an expedition to “Devil’s Lake” in the Dakota Territory.

The newspaper claimed to be a weekly with a subscription price of $3.00 per year. If memory serves me correctly I believe this issue is the only one I’ve encountered in 33 years of collecting newspapers.

Enjoy.

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18th century American magazines: one to share…

February 2, 2009 by · 3 Comments 
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Magazines published in 18th century America were relative few & far between when compared with newspapers of the same era. From the first magazine in 1741 through the Revolutionary War only 18 magazine titles were published, most lasting but a few issues. During the Revolutionary War only one magazine was in print, and it only lasted from January, 1775 through July, 1776, this last issue containing the Declaration of Independence.

Magazines have always been of interest to me since almost all titles carried various news of the day, typically within the back several pages, much like the British “Gentleman’s Magazine” had done since 1731. Some American magazines contained plates as well, but finding issues with the plates still intact can be extremely difficult and frustrating. The more noteworthy the plate, the less likely it will be present, typically removed by some previous owner many years ago. So when issues come on the market with significant plates still bound within the issue, it’s a moment of much excitement.

Here is one from our private collection, The Columbian Magazine from Philadelphia dated January, 1787, which contains a full page plate of “General Washington”, in addition to a foldout plate of the “Meteorological Observations” for the month of December, 1786.  We are pleased to share these photos with our fellow collectors, and wish all of you the great luck in finding your own American magazine with notable prints!

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It’s a family affair…

January 31, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 
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Just for fun…  Another interesting report…

A report in the CONNECTICUT COURANT of Hartford, April 16, 1790 notes:

“A gang of thieves, near 30 in number, which has for a long time infested Middlesex county, has lately been broken up. Thirteen of them, belonging to one family, were tried last week at Concord, from the Grandfather down to the grandchild.”

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Before they became famous…

January 29, 2009 by · 2 Comments 
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Part of the fun in collecting newspapers is finding reports in newspapers or magazines of the day about a person or event before it or they became famous. Typically such reports are very inconspicuous and brief, which adds to the excitement in making such a discovery.

Such finds are not uncommon in this hobby. We have sold many issues of the installation in the Philadelphia State House steeple that which would become the physical manifestation of freedom –the Liberty Bell–as reported in a Gentleman’s Magazine of 1753. There are several mentions of political neophyte Abraham Lincoln from the 1830’s & 1840’s, well before he would be thrust into American history with the advent of the Civil War. Mentions of Davy Crockett from before his heroic death at the Alamo can still be found.

A recent find is equally as intriguing and perhaps more so as it is no small report. The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN magazine of February 22, 1902 has most of a page taken up with a report of Wilbur Wright “…of Dayton, Ohio…” and his experiments with flight and includes not just one but five photos of his early machines. This was some 22 months before he and his brother would make their historic flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which would change the world forever.

This issue has languished on our warehouse shelves for many years only to be discovered by accident. Such are the joys of collecting! I hope all of you have experienced some exciting finds unnoticed by others.

What reports of historical people or events have you found which predate their greater moment of significance? Feel free to share.

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From the private collection: a title to share…

January 26, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 
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I have always be intrigued by unusually titled newspapers, and there are many from the past two to three hundred years.

One from our private collection which is rather bizarre not just for its name but for its theme—analyzing the records of childhood deaths from the previous 100 years—is: “THE HISTORY OF CRADLE-CONVULSIONS” with an extended title including: “Vulgarly called Black and White Fits: Monthly Observations on the Weekly Bills of Mortality…” and even more (see photos).

The publisher uses the entirety of this single sheet newspaper to discussion the deaths of children, although modern translations are lacking as to what is meant by “cradle convulsions”, “black & white fits”, “gripes in the guts” or “convulsions of the bowels”, although one could guess. The text of the entire newspaper is shown here for your reading enjoyment.

Not surprisingly, a newspaper with such a morbid theme did not last long. In fact this issue “numb. 1” was the first and the last despite mention by the publisher of future monthly issues. According to Crane & Kaye this title is not held by any library in the United States.

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Thoughts on the collecting of Obama inauguration newspapers…

January 21, 2009 by · 2 Comments 
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It seems that with every election or inauguration I get asked about the collectability of such newspapers, so I thought I might share my thoughts with you, and encourage you to do the same.

USA Today - Obama Election & Inuguration

USA Today – Obama Election & Inuguration

As for pure collectability, sure, election and inauguration issues are collectible because they document a very important part of American history and the democratic process. The smooth transfer of power from one person or administration to another does not come easily to many countries today. And to be able to add such historic issues to a collection for 50 cents or a buck is a great opportunity.

But I suspect the real interest of many who inquire about the collectability (of Barrack Obama election and inauguration issues) is the potential for such issues to increase in value. My opinion is, in general, no. They will not increase much in value in years to come. Now I’m speaking of “recent” history, say the last 30 years or so. I feel the public has become very collector-focused the last several decades, and many, many “historic” newspapers have been set aside in attics and drawers only to be found by their children many years later.

For a newspaper to appreciate dramatically in value I believe it requires several things: 1) Historic content. Yes, elections and inaugurations are historic; 2) Rarity. No, elections and inaugurations of the past 30 years are not rare because they were hoarded in large quantities and will always be relatively common; and 3) Something unique or dramatic. A “screaming” headline in tall, bold letters, or a cleverly worded headline, or something else which makes the issue unusual.

Supposedly the New York Times printed an extra one million issues of its January 21 inauguration issue, and I suspect most of them will be hoarded in quantity. The Washington Post printed a much larger quantity than normal, but they didn’t comment on the exact quantity. I’m sure it was sizable, and many of those issues will be hoarded. All this means that 20 years from now issues will be showing up on eBay (or its equivalent at that time) and anywhere else people might try to sell collectibles.  With millions of such newspapers in the marketplace will the values get higher and higher? I doubt it.

Issues which tend to increase in value are those which were NOT saved. Most major headlines pre-World War II have appreciated nicely in value because they were not hoarded in quantities. I just don’t think the American public was collector-conscience then, so consequently they are genuinely rare in additional to being historic. And add a huge headline or terrific graphic and you have the potential for a very desirable newspaper; one which has appreciated nicely in value.

As an interesting side note, I understand that the New York Post printed a special afternoon inauguration edition on January 20. Given that most major newspapers are morning publications, coverage of the inaugural proceedings would be in their September 21 issue. But the Post had coverage in their January 20 issue, the same day as the election. A friend, stopping by a newsstand in New York city bought several issues of the Times of January 21 and noted a stack of other issues in the back. Inquiring what they were he was told it was the Post of the 20th, “…but they came in too late to be sold on the newsstand, so they will be returned. We can’t sell a day old newspaper…” the friend promptly purchased them all. I’d be curious to hear how many of the January 20 afternoon edition were actually sold on the streets and not returned for destruction. Perhaps that edition will have a real rarity component.

But don’t let this deter you from collecting historic events of the last 30 years and events yet to come. One of the great aspects of this hobby is the ability to assemble a great collection of truly historic newspapers at a nominal cost–at the newsstand price if you are lucky.

What are your thoughts?

Note:  The Times News (out of Lehighton, PA) interviewed Tim concerning this topic.  The article may be accessed at:  http://www.tnonline.com/about

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Most historic: 1784 thru 1800…

January 20, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 
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Continuing with our discussion on the “most historic” reports to be found in newspapers, we have been discussing the events of American history by era, the last being the 1801-1860 era. This post will discuss the most significant event in American history of the post-Revolutionary War, 18th century era from 1784 thru 1800.

Much happened in American history during this brief 17 year period but I’m not so sure there are many events which qualify as the “most historic”. From 1784 to 1787 much effort was made to organize the loosely attached colonies into a cohesive whole (see Articles of Confederation as an example), which ultimately led to the Constitutional Convention and the resultant Constitution which remains to this day. Through the ratification process it was evident that more rights needed to be clarified, resulting in the Bill of Rights of 1789. During this same year the first presidential election happened and the federal government was established, and in subsequent years a permanent site was created for the federal government, the Native Americans’ concerns were dealt with as the nation crew beyond the original 13 states, The Whiskey Rebellion challenged the collection of federal taxes, Jay’s Treaty with England was consummated, and growing troubles with France & other nations put greater focus on formalizing a federal military. All these events and more played a role in molding America during these critical formative years.

The Constitution of the United States of America

The Constitution of the United States of America

But the most historic? My vote has to go with the creation of the Constitution. And a newspaper with the printing of this document would be a very prized addition to any collection.

What is your thought?

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Campaign newspapers: a hobby within a hobby…

January 19, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 
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Before the days of television, radio and certainly the internet, how did Presidential candidates get their platforms across the the electorate? Daily newspapers could not be counted upon as most were politically aligned with one of the parties so reporting had an obvious bias.

“Campaign newspapers” were one vehicle for candidates. Rather than rely on the ethics of the local publisher, parties produced their own newspapers during the campaign with the emphasis on the platform of the candidate. Logically such newspapers were short-lived and are relatively rare today as a result.

William Miles did a book titled: “The People’s Voice: An Annotated Bibliography of American Presidential Campaign Newspapers, 1828-1984” which lists chronologically and by party over 700 titles. The following is excerpted from his Preface:

“Every four years since at least 1828 the campaign newspaper, like the campaign biography, song, poster, and similar election paraphernalia, has reappeared as a familiar part of the American presidential electoral process. Unlike the general party or partisan newspaper, these sheets were published specifically to support the cause of an aspiring candidate or an officially nominated ticket. Usually issued only during the period of the campaign itself, they were the campaign documents that emphasized the strengths and the importance of political organization at all levels; and to attack, generally in vitriolic language, the opposition. No matter if established and issued by party committees or by committed private individuals, or as “extras” and subsidized papers by already established partisan journals, the purpose was the same: organize the party faithful to work on behalf or electing the national, and by extension, the state and local tickets.”

Such elusive titles do provide an interesting array of titles including “Hickory Sprout” “Coon Hunter” “Harry Of The West” “Rebel Youth” “Hickory Tree” “On Our Way” “Rail Splitter” “Sober Second Thought” “Soup-Spiller” “Magician” “Grape Shot”  “Rough & Ready” “Barnburner” “Dirty Shirt” “Kickapoo” and “Straight-Out Harrisonian” to name but a few.

Collecting campaign newspapers can be a fascinating hobby within a hobby, if only for the variety of titles available. Do you have any great-named campaign newspapers in your collection? Feel free to share.

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