The October (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 15, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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- The June (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The September (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The October (2019) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The July (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The June (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
Beer and electricity had a common admirer…
October 11, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
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All of the Founders are worthy of a great deal of respect however, some grab your attention more than others. From George Washington’s noble bearing to Jefferson’s nation building writing. I would argue none capture the imagination more than Benjamin Franklin. Larger than life, with his bifocals and kite in a lightning storm, he makes a great historical figure for kids to study while inspiring adults with his witty wisdom such as, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Among the many issues we have at Rare Newspapers covering Franklin is one which is described as follows:
”The earliest account of the electrical experiments made by Benjamin Franklin, at Philadelphia (where he was then the post-master) appeared anonymously in ‘The Gentleman’s Magazine for January, 1750‘.”
This article mentions several of Franklin’s important discoveries, including: “…that it will live in water…that it is more strongly attracted by slender sharp points than by solid blunt bodies…that bodies replete with this fire strongly attract such as have less of it, and repel such as have an equal quantity…”.
Beer, electricity, bifocals and chess – take a look at this brilliant, yet quirky Founder with new eyes by reading about him in the papers of his day.
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- Pennsylvania’s first newspapers…
- A Fly on the Wall… Ben Franklin at the Printing Press…
- The grave-site legacy of Benjamin Franklin…
- Taking Stock… Post-New Year’s Eve…
- First newspapers in Massachusetts…
“Things I Never Knew”… Fredrick Douglass Edition…
October 7, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
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It’s amazing how one can work intimately with history for years-on-end and still find so much you don’t know – and I’m certainly a case in point. I find that after 2 years of exploring (technically called working) at RareNewspapers, I am still surprised & delighted on nearly a daily basis. Just yesterday, as I began to dig into the background of one of America’s heroes, Frederick Douglass, I discovered he had served as U.S. Marshal – a fact which may have been known to many of the readers of the History’s Newsstand blog, but was new(s) to me:
“When Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected president, he named Douglass as United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, the first person of color to be so named. The Senate voted to confirm him on March 17, 1877.[147] Douglass accepted the appointment, which helped assure his family’s financial security.[51] During his tenure, Douglass was urged by his supporters to resign from his commission, since he was never asked to introduce visiting foreign dignitaries to the President, which is one of the usual duties of that post. However, Douglass believed that no covert racism was implied by the omission, and stated that he was always warmly welcomed in presidential circles.” (Wiki)
I love how I get to spend my days!
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- Exploring an Introductory Lot of Ten 19th Century Newspapers…
- The Frederick Douglass’ Paper… Solomon Northup…
They put it in print, 1917 – “The more things change…”
October 4, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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A recent post focused on a headline which borrowed Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr’s famous words from 1849: “the more things change, the more they stay the same” (translated from “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”). This tendency, as applied to human behavior, has certainly been substantiated time and time again in the world of politics.
During former President Trump’s term in office “leaks” were springing up everywhere. For a novice to the political realm this may have appeared to have been a new phenomenon; however, the banner headline from a San Diego Evening Tribune dated January 8, 1917 makes it clear that once again, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was spot-on. How do we know? They put it in print:

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- They put it in print… Castro given a year or less…
- The Traveler… oh my stars and stripes!
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- A gem from the American Antiquarian Society…
- “Black Friday” goes viral…
Announcing: Catalog #311 (for October, 2021) is now available…
October 1, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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- Catalog 311 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 311 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
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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- Announcing: Catalog #283 (for June, 2019) is now available…
- Announcing: Catalog #282 (for May, 2019) is now available…
- Announcing: Catalog #284 (for July, 2019) is now available…
- Announcing: Catalog #287 (for October, 2019) is now available…
- Announcing: Catalog #314 (for January, 2022) is now available…
Hurricane Season… ALREADY???
September 27, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
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Each year as the beginning of June rolls around, some of us who live near or have trips to the Eastern Coast of the United States begin to watch the hurricane trackers. By late August through September they are really on our minds as we plan for impact on our homes or vacation destinations. For Virginia Colonists in 1668, even June would have been too little too late to prepare as Virginia had already been hit by a destructive hurricane which would eventually be covered in the April 13, 1668 issue of THE LONDON GAZETTE. So, for the storm trackers out there who have an interest in the past, accounts of tropical storms through Category 5 monsters often appeared in rare & early newspapers.
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- Labor Day – back to school, end of summer, and hurricanes – Oh My!
- Snapshot 1665 – The Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper is Born…
- When did the “Gentleman’s Magazine” print the Declaration of Independence?
- West Virginia’s first newspapers…
- The Traveler… ah, this bloody weather…
They put it in print, 2003 – “Horses with no names?”
September 23, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Many recognize the names of the most famous racehorses of all time: Seattle Slue, Man o’ War, American Pharaoh, and Citation to name a few – especially if they were featured in a major Hollywood Movie, but what about their sired offspring? Do we recognize their names? How do we even refer to them? Perhaps “Seattle Slue and his Crew”, “Man o’ War and his War Reenactors”, “American Pharaoh and his Royal Subjects”, and/or “Citation and Prized Awards” would be appropriate? While all of these ideas ended up on the drawing room floor, one did make the cut. Thanks to his jockey’s restaurant, we have “Seabiscuit and his Little Biscuits”. How do we know? In the July 10, 2003 issue of the Los Angeles Times, they put it in print.

While none of Seabiscuit’s foals grew up to become famous in and of themselves, the restaurant he inspired is still in business.
– – – – – – – – –
Update 9/28/2021, compliments of K.W. from Illinois…

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- Literally, like the most overused words in 1937…
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- The Civil War… 150 years ago today… July 13, 1861
- They put it in print… First appearance of an American flag?
- Census with a bit of flair…
A Thankful Heart from the Mouth of Babes…
September 20, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
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Sometimes an image perfectly captures an emotion or a moment in time. Sometimes that moment is in the present but sometimes it won’t be noticed for decades. Recently, as I was putting together issues for one of our collectors, I came across an image on the front of a Harper’s Weekly dated January 4, 1902 which was that perfect snapshot. Our culture seems to have gotten murky and a bit hard to decipher at times., but on the front of the photo of a little boy captured the simplicity of his life. He was thankful for a man who had sacrificed greatly to make his life better. Perhaps, as a way to cut through the muck and mire of our time, a thankful heart is just what our culture… what we… what I need.
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- I’m thankful for… Abraham Lincoln…
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- The Village Voice… The Heart of the 60’s-70’s Anti-Establishment Youth Culture…
The September (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
September 17, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...
- The June (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The October (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The October (2019) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The June (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
- The July (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
Special Moment: Father and Daughter – A Handshake for the Century…
September 13, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
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Hiking with kids can teach LOTS of life lessons, not the least of which is: “Don’t forget the snacks”. However, a more obscure lesson is more impacting for the long term. Hiking often leads us down a path to a moment we never saw coming… maybe the sunlight is dappling the trail ahead as we turn a corner or a mother deer lifts her head to check on her fawn as we step into a quiet glen. Life can mimic like these treasured moments. Perhaps we make a choice without much thought one day which leads to hidden treat a year or two down the road or hobby we start with our loved one can pay undreamt of dividends at a perfect future moment in our lives. Such is the story below. Take the few minuets to watch as it is uplifting and encouraging and honestly, isn’t that what we could all use right now at this moment in time? Here at RareNewspapers, our small part of the story came about as the father of this remarkable young girl contacted us to see if we had the April 19, 1946 issue of The New York Times which contained this priceless image. After some research, our success elicited the only appropriate outcry: HOMERUN!!!!!!!!!!! We are always grateful for moments like these when history leaps off the page and touches our hearts. ENJOY!!!
Handshake for the Century
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