Separation of Church & State – Catholic concern in early 1800’s…

November 14, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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On April 23, 1804, The Order of Ursuline Nuns from New Orleans penned a letter to then President Thomas Jefferson. In their letter, they expressed concerns about their property being confiscated. The letter said in part: “they [those within the Order] cannot but be anxious to know that the property which is to enable them to fulfil these duties will be secure to them”.  Just seven months later, Jefferson replied with the following:

“To the Soeur Therese de St. Xavier farjon Superior, and the Nuns of the order of St. Ursula at New Orleans:

I have received, holy sisters, the letter you have written me wherein you express anxiety for the property vested in your institution by the former governments of Louisiana. the principles of the constitution and government of the United States are a sure guarantee to you that it will be preserved to you sacred and inviolate, and that your institution will be permitted to govern itself according to its own voluntary rules, without interference from the civil authority. whatever diversity of shade may appear in the religious opinions of our fellow citizens, the charitable objects of your institution cannot be indifferent to any; and its furtherance of the wholesome purposes of society, by training up its younger members in the way they should go, cannot fail to ensure it the patronage of the government it is under. be assured it will meet all the protection which my office can give it.

I salute you, holy sisters, with friendship & respect.

Th: Jefferson”

The POLITICAL OBSERVATORY, November 17, 1804, carried the entire letter with Jefferson’s signature.

Ironically, within the next 30 years, a very different story was recorded. The October 11, 1834, NILES’ WEEKLY REGISTER, had multiple pages of coverage of the August 11 and 12, 1834 Ursuline Convent riots in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Wiki states these riots were, “fueled by the rebirth of extreme anti-Catholic sentiment in antebellum New England.”

Perhaps the Nuns of 1804 had a prophetic gift enabling them to foresee troubles to come.

 

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Filed under: Food for Thought, Noteworthy Issues, Pre Civil War
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Veterans – War’s end is rarely met with the end to their battles…

November 10, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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Once the battle is over and the smoke has cleared, the life of a veteran has not always been rosy and gay. Quality healthcare, needed family benefits, receipt of back pay, sufficient re-entry counselling, quality care for wounded warriors, ongoing honor for their service, etc. have often been less than desirable, and far below the need. This isn’t to say strides over time have not been made, but like many societal issues, much work still needs to be done.
One step in the right direction took place in 1942 and was reported in The New York Times for June 23rd. It told of FDR signing the G.I. Bill of Rights and was accompanied by a nice photo of the signing.

Thankfully, the trek did not end here and continues to this day. The following link will take you to a chronological journey through issues with content related to veterans (you may need to select the individual issue’s link to see/read the content):

Reports Related to Veterans

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Filed under: Food for Thought, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The 20th & 21st Centuries
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The Battle of Gettysburg… an intimate look…

November 7, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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I would imagine, as a journalist, an eyewitness is the “rare pearl”. Research is all well and good but interviewing someone who saw it with their own two eyes will most often give the very best information. So it was for the journalist who wrote for the DAILY RICHMOND EXAMINER, July 17, 1863 issue.  The article…

“The Invasion of Pennsylvania–The Battle Of Gettysburg–The Retreat To Hagerstown” features an eye-witness account of the retreat and is prefaced with: “…the only connected, intelligent and intelligible account that has yet been given to the public of the movements of General Lee…after the Battle of Gettysburg.” This lengthy & detailed accounting by one of the soldiers begins with the Confederate advance from Virginia into Maryland on June 18, then continues with: “On Friday, 26th, we took up the line of march through Chambersburg on the Harrisburg road. The splendid band in the 4th Louisiana brigade…proceeded the column playing ‘Dixie” and the Marseillaise…We passed through Shippensburg to the sound of martial music again & went on to Carlisle…Harrisburg was in a panic…”.

A report from a soldier who was more than an eyewitness of the battle; rather, one who experienced it first-hand… From a journalist’s point of view, it just doesn’t get any better.

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It’s All About the Headline…

November 5, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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Some of our collectors are drawn to a poignant political speech and some are passionate about 17th – 19th century maps. More than a few seek reports of famous battles while others can’t resist death reports of notable generals. When it comes to the Rare & Early Newspapers collectible, breadth of interest runs from the heart-wrenching past (illustrated slave ads – lest we forget), to the lighthearted (a recent issue containing an ad & review of a favorite movie. However, regardless of their interest, for a majority of collectors it’s all about the headline – the more frameable and dramatic, the better!

With this in mind, may I submit as an example the banner headline of Hearst’s Boston American for April 23, 1906: “SAN FRANCISCO SUFFERERS GO MAD! “, followed by: “Crazed By Horrors They Roam The Streets”. Can we all agree… even the tabloids of today can’t touch this! So, whether you are drawn to the macabre, the triumphant, or merely the historical, for many it’s all about the headline. After all…

GREAT HEADLINES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

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Filed under: Civil War, Colonial, Confederate, Death Reports, Great Headlines, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Old West Era, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, Revolutionary War, The 1500's, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1600's, The 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Collectible Community, The War of 1812, Yankee
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Exploring an Introductory Lot of Ten 19th Century Newspapers…

November 4, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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What can one find in the Introductory Lot of 10 issues from the 1800s offered at RareNewspapers.com – especially considering the cost is under $30?

To explore this from the perspective of a novice we asked the newest member of our staff, who knew absolutely nothing about “rare & early” newspapers prior to joining our family, to select a random set and start digging through the set. To make the “exploration” as honest an endeavor as possible we asked her to video herself as she explored. Not polished, a bit rough, unrehearsed…  but in our opinion the video provides a fresh look at how a young adult who is new to the collectible might react to receiving such a lot. If you have ever purchased this lot, feel free to share your “finds”.

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Announcing: Catalog #324 for November, 2022 – Rare & Early Newspapers for collectors…

October 31, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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November’s catalog (#324) is now available. Also shown below are links to a video featuring highlights from the catalog, our currently discounted newspapers, and recent posts to the History’s Newsstand Blog. Please enjoy.

CATALOG #324 – This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes the following noteworthy issues: the “Black Sox” scandal (in a Chicago newspaper), an issue of The Virginia Gazette (1775, Williamsburg), The Royal Gazette (American loyalist-leaning), printing of The Declaration of Independence, rarer than “Dewey Defeats Truman”, Lincoln’s 2nd Inauguration, the Battle of Fort Washington, the death pf Alexander Hamilton, The Polynesian (early from Hawaii), tarring and feathering, 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)
————–

HISTORY’S NEWSSTAND – Recent Posts on the History’s Newsstand Blog may be accessed at: History’s Newsstand
————–

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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The Sounds of Summer and the Crack of the Bat…

October 28, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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What makes summer feel like summer? Hazy evenings where light still lingers until after 9… Fireflies flitting across the grass… Children laughing as they romp in the neighborhood yards or… the crack of a bat at the local little league field? We at RareNewspapers have a particular fondness for baseball – not only because our Phillies made it to the World Series… or that our founder (Tim Hughes) has served for decades on the board of Little League International… or that the Little League World Series is played each year within a few blocks of our archives in PA, but also because baseball captures the essence of summer, America and apple-pie (with vanilla ice-cream), and we each have a fondness for all three.
To join our baseball enthusiasm a bit, take a look at some of our best baseball issues including one from the current catalog … a CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Sept. 29, 1920 covering the Black Sox Scandal. Even America’s pastime has a skeleton or two in its closet.

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Filed under: Civil War, Great Headlines, Harper's Weekly, Illustrated Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Old West Era, Post Civil War, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Collectible Community, The Hobby
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Collecting Rare & Early Newspapers… on a budget…

October 24, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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People who collect stamps… like stamps, collect trains… like trains, collect coins… like coins, collect classic cars… like classic cars, etc.. However, those who collect rare & early newspapers may have the collecting bug for Colonial America, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Old West, sports, elections, inventions, early flight, tragedies, famous death reports, incredible achievements, illustrated ads of new products as they developed over time, beautiful wood-cut prints from famous artists and illustrators, the progress of civil rights and suffrage from the 1700’s through the present, … – oh, and articles, illustrations and/or ads related to stamps, trains, coins, classic cars and other popular collectibles. They may also simply value history and appreciate viewing events through the eyes of those who experienced them first had.

Of course it’s always best to enter a specific collectible before it becomes over-saturated, exploited, or over-priced, but most collectors arrive on the scene when the prices are either too high, or the value of the collectible is starting to decline.

In contrast, while there are several collectible newspapers priced in the $10,000 to $750,000+ range, many can still be obtained “on the cheap”. It is with this in mind one of our staff decided to create a brief video highlighting a few items priced under $50. In fact, there are well over 15,000 such items available on the RareNewspapers.com website. Please enjoy:

 

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Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Death Reports, Great Headlines, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, The 1500's - 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The Hobby, Valuation of Issues
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John Brown, 1859… What would you be willing to die for?

October 21, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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On November 2, 1859, John Brown was declared to be guilty of murder and treason. Before his sentencing was announced the court clerk asked him if he had any last words. Expecting the question (for it was required by law), he rose, and with full composure and clarity of voice he gave his last speech – the text of which appeared in many newspapers the following day. Upon searching our archives, we discovered one of these reports in a New York Tribune:

As I read the article, in addition to being reminded of the sacrifices made by so many in order to bring about the abolition of American slavery, I was challenged to consider if there was a cause for which I would (truly) be willing to die. It is one thing to sacrifice one’s life to save a loved one, but a “cause”? I pray my faith would rise to such a height (for it’s certainly worthy), but until the moment of truth is at hand…

So, I ask again: What is worthy of the ultimate sacrifice? Those who gave their lives in an effort to gain and/or preserve our freedom had their answer. John Brown had his. How about you and me?

PS  If anyone can recommend a good book which provides an honest assessment of whether John Brown was a hero or a villain, please email me at guy@rarenewspapers.com. Please know I understand this may be a very complex analysis.

 

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A Fly on the Wall at the Constitutional Convention of 1787…

October 17, 2022 by · Leave a Comment 
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It is not uncommon these days to hear people discussing The Constitution.  How they discuss this crucial founding document may differ radically and the accuracy with which they discuss it may vary as well. As you can imagine, those of us at Rare Newspapers fall into the “Perhaps the best secular document ever written” camp. So, I am sure it will not surprise you to know that I have always longed to have been “a fly on the wall” during the Constitutional Convention. Given the writings of the Founders, I have to imagine we would all be blown away by their passionate discussions. Just the other day I heard someone discussing various states’ desire to hold a Constitutional Convention… to make some changes. His comment went something like this (paraphrased)…

– I have been in favor of a current day Constitutional Convention in the past however, as I look at where we are today as a nation, I do not think we can be trusted as a people to open this precious document and leave it vulnerable to changes made by this culture. –

He went on to say (again, paraphrased) … -I believe the day may come in the future when we could be trusted with such a sobering task, but today is not that day. –

For now, we will just need to content ourselves with protecting this amazing document as is until/if that day comes.

Note: The image shown above announcing a quorum had finally been reached at the Constitutional Convention was taken from THE INDEPENDENT GAZETTEER; OR THE CHRONICLE OF FREEDOM, Philadelphia, May 26, 1787.

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Filed under: Announcements, Noteworthy Issues, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1700's, The Collectible Community
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