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Davy Crockett & Rand Paul – “I Love This Collectible!”
May 20, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · 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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The reason I collected it: Newe Gazette van Brugge…
May 13, 2024 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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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 GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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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.
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You can’t always believe what you read – even when penned with good intentions…
May 6, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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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 LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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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 GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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The May catalog (#342) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[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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They Put It In Print – Immigration in 1903…
April 26, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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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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Larger Than Life – The Death of Jessie James…
April 22, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Without a doubt, certain terms elicit particular moods. A word or phrase can take us back to a bygone era or spring us into a futuristic vision. “Groovy” often equals kicking back & chilling in the summer sun… “Desolate” brings to mind a barren dystopian plain (perhaps with Mel Gibson racing across it). In the same way, the caption below a full-page image of Jessie James in the FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER from April 22, 1882,” Notorious Desperado, Killed at St. Joseph, April 3d.”, can only throw us back to the Wild-West and the many men and woman who have inspired some of the greatest movies of all times. If you like to put a face to a name, take a look at this wonderful illustrated issue on our website.
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Snapshot 1903 – “Jack the Ripper” in America?
April 15, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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In the midst of what appears to be the steady decline of American culture, and the resulting tendency to develop a “woe is us” mindset which begins to long for the past, every now and then I come across a newspaper which serves as a reality check. Such was the case as I perused a Memphis Morning News dated December 21, 1903. The front-page alone had the following headlines: “No Safety for Americans” in Columbia, “Thieves Rob Jail”, “Killed All His Family”, “Russell Is Hurt” (student hits teacher in the head with a rock), “Mountain Bandit Escapes From Jail”, “Charles Nellens Arrested – Charged With Murder of Millionaire Wentz…”, “Saved Two Women From Fire”, “Preferred To Die – Charged With Postal Robberies, He Suicides”, and my favorite, “Jack The Ripper… Ghastly Find In A Hotel”. AND, I’ve yet to move past the front page. YIKES!
Truth be told, Western Culture (in general) and American Culture (specifically) are declining, but the call should be to right the ship for present and future generations, not to bury our heads in the sands of the past. Thanks to the slap in the face provided by this newspaper from 1903, I’ll get back to being thankful for all that is good in the present, while pushing for an even better tomorrow. Go back to life in 1903? No thank you – and WWI, the Spanish Flu, and the devastating Qing Famine are still far beyond the horizon. Note: The latter may not have been a “Western Culture” event, but when 20-30 million people die of starvation, it deserves a mention.
PS Spoiler alert. The Jack the Ripper headline is an early 1900’s version of what today would be labelled “click bait”.
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You’ve Come A Long Way Baby. . . from the Pony Express to the internet…
April 12, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Every one of our collectors is unique, a fact never more apparent than when a new catalog is released. Some place an order within moments of the release of the online version, while others wait till the hard copy hits their mailbox to quickly scour the pages – calling us with whatever instantly piqued their interest. Another group takes a laid-back approach and may not get to perusing until a week or more later, sometimes calling to order from a previous catalog. Whatever their style, all collectors enjoy receiving the catalog at regular intervals. Why am I bringing up catalog releases in a blog post? Today, as I was paging through a NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE dated April 2, 1860, I noticed an article on the pricing for the brand new Pony Express. I chuckled to myself as I contemplated a time when our catalogs would have been delivered on horseback. Imagine the feelings of distress for the people who lived in California compared to those who lived right down our street. No matter how you like to approach your catalog browsing, it has to be better than waiting for the Pony Express… unless you call and your item has already sold; then all bets are off!
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