Pre-Memorial Day (Decoration Day) preparations…

May 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today (Sunday, May 26, 2024) is the day before what was originally called Decoration Day. Whereas we will have another post tomorrow commemorating the day, today I was browsing through some of our previous posts and related website listings, and was struck by both the early emphasis on “preparations” for the day, and the ritual of decorating the grave sites of those who had paid the ultimate price in war. This led me to ponder how I could incorporate both into this years “holiday”. I’m not sure if it will happen, but we currently have 11 grandchildren and their parents with us this weekend, so I’m hoping they’ll all agree to walk down to the small Civil War cemetery (on what is now called Freedom Road) where several black soldiers from our area are buried, and place a few American Flags among the decades-faded markers. If it works out, I’m looking forward to the umpteen questions which will come my way.

in the meantime, feel free to take a gander at an item we have on our website which has several reports on the very first official Decoration Day celebrations which took place throughout the United  States in 1869:

Decoration Day

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Filed under: Food for Thought, Post Civil War, The 19th Century, The Collectible Community, The Rare Newspapers Community
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Another Golden Nugget found within an Old Newspaper… Edmund Halley

May 24, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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A collector (L.G., from Vermont) recently contacted us to mention he had found a “Golden Nugget” within one of our listings. Finding hidden gems while perusing a newspaper is not too uncommon (it’s one of the pleasures of the collectible), however, doing so while viewing merely select images on our website is another thing altogether. Making this “find” even more impressive is that it was barely visible at the bottom of a photo showing something else. SO, what was “the find”? An advertisement for the notable “Planisphaerium Coeleste (double hemisphere celestial chart)” which had been “reviewed and corrected” by the 23-year-old astronomer, Edmund Halley.  He would later become famous for discovering that a series of comet sightings which reached as far back as 240 BC were actually of the same comet – now called Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley). From a collector’s standpoint, it’s nice to see his name in print long before his famous “find”.

For the record, the mention was found in The London Gazette for April 10, 1679 – a listing which has now been updated to reflect the new content. The original photo observed by L.G. can still be found through the provided link.

Please know we are always pleased when collectors let us know of such discoveries – even if the find means we missed something which would have made the newspaper significantly more valuable.

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Filed under: The 1600's, The Hobby
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Davy Crockett & Rand Paul – “I Love This Collectible!”

May 20, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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I recently overheard someone on the radio mention a speech Rand Paul gave on the Senate Floor on May 18, 2022 regarding “spending” in which he quoted portions of an earlier speech by beloved Senator Davy Crockett given in the same chamber back in 1867. What caught my attention was Senator Paul’s source: a Harper’s Magazine from 1867 – a title which we have in relative abundance within our archives. Rand Paul’s oration, now referred to as his “Makes No Sense” speech, is found here:

Of course, being collectors and resellers of Rare & Early Newspapers (and some 18th and 19th century magazines), the fun was about to begin. Might we have a copy of this speech? Might we have the very Harper’s Monthly issue Rand Paul referenced?

Problem 1: He said it was from Harper’s Magazine, 1867; however, Harper’s was a monthly magazine. Thanks to the internet, we soon discovered several websites (some highly respectable) which stated it was from the January issue. Off we went to our archives to check to see if we had the January, 1867 issue. Bingo! We had it.

Problem 2: After searching through the issue multiple times, it was obvious that all of the websites must have relied on a single, wrong source. Bummer. So, where could it be? Might the year be wrong? Perhaps a different month within 1867? A different title? After a bit more digging we found a reference which stated that an article related to Davy Crockett was present within the April issue of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine (April, 1867). Might we have this one? If so, might it contain Senator Crockett’s speech? Back to the archives we went, and before long we dug out the desired issue and were elated to find the referenced speech!!!

Whether you agree with Rand Paul’s or Davy Crockett’s position on the spending of taxpayer’s money, the trek was rewarding. AND, after all this effort, the speech is shown below. Enjoy.

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Filed under: Post Civil War, The Collectible Community, The Hobby
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The (2024) May Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

May 17, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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Welcome to the May Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. Over the past year many newcomers have joined the ranks of those who have been inspired to collect old, rare, and/or newspapers tethered to their specific areas of interest. In fact, you may be one of them. If so, it is hoped that as time goes on your appreciation for the collectible will only grow. To this end, in addition to the links to the monthly discounts, new listings, and May catalog shown below, we thought we would draw attention to the History’s Newsstand Blog which we believe has much to offer in regard to learning about the hobby. Although it’s still a work in progress, so far we’ve amassed 5 posts designed to act as the start of a Rare Newspapers Primer. These can be accessed at:

COLLECTING NEWSPAPERS – “THE BASICS”

Whether you are a seasoned or novice collector of newspapers, if you would like to suggest a topic to be included in such a “Primer”, please let us know at guy@rarenewspapers.com. Thanks.

Since we’re already exploring the History’s Newsstand Blog, we kickoff our regular monthly features with links to our recent posts:

The reason I collected it: Newe Gazette van Brugge…

The month of May thru time – as reported in newspapers of the day…

You can’t always believe what you read… even when penned with good intentions…

The Whole World’s Watching: George Washington’s 1st State of the Union Address…

They Put It In Print – Immigration in 1903…

Larger Than Life – The Death of Jessie James…

Snapshot 1903 – “Jack the Ripper” in America?

The remaining monthly features are as follows:

Catalog 342 – Newly Added (Quick Scan or Full View)

Catalog 342 – Entire List (Quick Scan or Full View)

May’s Discounted Issues -50% off (Quick Scan or Full View)

Although the following appeared in last month’s newsletter, we thought it was worthy of another mention:

(Currently) Available Items From Our Personal Collection

Over the past several months we have begun to make a selection of items from our personal collection available to others. Tim Hughes is also authoring a series on the History’s Newsstand blog titled: “The Reason I Collected It”. As additional items are released over the next several years, Tim will continue to expand this series of posts. More details regarding his collection will be forthcoming.
As always, thanks for collecting with us!
Sincerely,
Guy & Laura Heilenman & the entire Rare Newspapers Team
(including our “founder”, Tim Hughes)
570-326-1045

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The reason I collected it: Newe Gazette van Brugge…

May 13, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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Sometimes it’s nice just to be handsome to be collectible. The New Gazette van Brugge from 1815 Belgium is not particularly early for a European title, nor am I aware of any historic content. But the masthead is deep, it includes a coat-of-arms engraving, and has beautifully ornate lettering in the title, not to mention two tax stamps in the masthead. Additionally, it was never bound nor trimmed and is small enough to frame economically–hence a logical addition to our private collection.

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The Month of May thru time – as reported in newspapers of the day…

May 10, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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When considering the month of May what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:

  • Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland
  • U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden
  • Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) was first observed in the U.S. (1865)
  • Communism founder Karl Marx (1818-1883) was born in Treves, Germany
  • The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames
  • The British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine
  • Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa
  • The first permanent English settlement in America was established at Jamestown, Virginia
  • Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France
  • Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in southwestern Washington State

Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.

The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.

NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MAY

 

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Filed under: Death Reports, Great Headlines, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Sports, The 1500's - 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby
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You can’t always believe what you read – even when penned with good intentions…

May 6, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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(sarcasm alert)

Did you know you can obtain (collect) British newspapers older than the oldest known British newspapers?

While sounding a tad ridiculous, a newspaper article from a reliable 19th century publication confirms this claim.

Proof:

We recently discovered an article in an issue of the highly respected Niles’ National Register from 1839 which contained the following article:

It appears that as of 1839, the oldest known “English” newspapers were from 1695. The problem? We have several to offer dated earlier. One might argue ours were discovered after this article was penned in 1839, but many of what we have are from The Times (London) whose claim to fame is being the oldest continuously published newspaper in England – perhaps the world(?), and was one of the more prominent newspapers from the 1600’s-1700’s. While the journalist may have been well-intentioned, the facts emphatically betray his/her research.

However, if you are one to believe everything you read, feel free to take a gander at…

British Newspapers Older than the Oldest British Newspapers

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The Whole World’s Watching: George Washington’s 1st State of the Union Address…

May 3, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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The State of the Union Address. . . a phrase which probably brings varying emotions depending on who you are. I love to watch these speeches as they give me more insight into the man than into the state of the Union.  Most of us already have a pretty good read on how our country is doing. . . the economy, the culture, the defense, threat assessments. . . but, watching the leader of the Free World explain his take helps me grasp where we are headed. I wonder if the citizens of the USA in 1795 felt the same way as they read the Columbian Sentinel from December 19. President Washington had given his 1st State of the Union Address and it was printed, as all presidential speeches, in the newspaper. We have much to thank George Washington for, as he defined so many aspects of our country, government and the presidency.  I think we can add instituting the Annual State of the Union Address to his very long list of accomplishments.

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Announcing: Catalog #342 for May, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…

April 30, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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The May catalog (#342) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.

CATALOG #342 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: a ‘Royal American Gazette’ (the first we have offered), a ‘Tombstone Epitaph’ (the famous title from the Old West), the 1685 coronation of the King and Queen of England, a rare British newsbook from 1650, a dramatic issue on the San Francisco earthquake, a 1775 map of Boston, and more.

 

 

Helpful Links to the Catalog:
————–
DISCOUNTED ISSUES – What remains of last month’s discounted issues may be viewed at: Discount (select items at 50% off) 
————–
Thanks for collecting with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team

570-326-1045

[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days

upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]

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Filed under: Announcements, Catalog Release Announcements, Civil War, Collecting Newspapers, Colonial, Confederate, Death Reports, Great Headlines, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Old West Era, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, Revolutionary War, Sports, The 1500's, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1600's, The 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby, The War of 1812, Yankee
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They Put It In Print – Immigration in 1903…

April 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment 
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Immigration. . . without a doubt a hot button topic… and not just in our lifetime. THE MEMPHIS MORNING NEWS, October 24, 1903 has a front-page article announcing that (nearly) 1,000,000 had immigrated to the U.S.  in 1903. Tension? No question! Take a look at the requirements Congress had established for legal immigrants and more requirements being considered.  A fascinating read in light of our current headlines.

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Filed under: The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Collectible Community
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