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You’ve Come A Long Way Baby…
May 20, 2021 by LauraH · 2 Comments 
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Oftentimes, when I see a headline or an issue here at Rare Newspapers, some old fashioned turn of phrase or idiom comes to mind and today was no exception. As I leafed through a volume of Harper’s Weekly’s looking for a customer request, I glanced through the issue dated one week earlier. “You’ve come a long way baby” sprang to mind as I paused to pour over the vintage automobile and tire ads in Harper’s Weekly’s “Annual Automobile Number” issue. Ironically, the front color cover had a baby in a 1912 car barely missing 1911, represented by an old man trudging across the road. These new cars must have seemed a tremendous upgrade from Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908 and may have caused a pedestrian on the curb to murmur, “We’ve come a long way baby”, however, I am sure their jaw would drop at the thought of electric and self-driving options 100+ years later. These are the things Jules Verne dreamed of as he put pen to paper. I like to imagine that someday, a 100+ years from now, another person may very well see a newspaper from today with the headline: “Tesla’s Autopilot Technology Faces Fresh Scrutiny”(NYT) and quip, “We’ve come a long way baby”, as they climb into their hover car.
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From Dream to Dream…
May 14, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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I can’t speak for anyone else but, at this moment… I’m over with bad news. I long for news stories that make me smile … that bring to mind sweeter times. Today, in the subtlest of news stories, my wish came true and a huge smile spread over my face. On June 30, 1905, the Springfield Republican published their issue for the day. I am sure no one in the editor’s office had a clue that on the sports page there was one line in the box score that would, 80+ years later, inspire one of my favorite movie moments of all time. Allow me to borrow a paragraph from our RareNewspapers website’s description for this Springfield issue…
“Spoiler alert: Anyone who has viewed the *movie-classic, “Field of Dreams,” starring Kevin Costner, has been touched by Archie “Moonlight” Graham (played by Burt Lancaster). The poor fellow simply cannot catch a break. When this doctor, who had given up baseball after only 1 professional appearance in order to care for people via his physician training, was given (in the movie) a 2nd chance to get on the magical “field of dreams,” he was almost immediately faced with the choice between either leaving the field (never to return) in order to save an injured young fan from near-certain death, or stay on the field and enjoy the game he had always loved.”
Although Field of Dreams mixes fantasy and reality, this peek into a “real life person” made me dig a bit deeper. Wikipedia sums him up as follows: “”Doc” Graham, as he became known after his career as a ballplayer, served the people of Chisholm (MN) for fifty years. From 1909 to 1959, Graham was the doctor for the Chisholm schools. For many years, “Doc” Graham made arrangements to have used eyeglasses sent to his Chisholm office. On Saturdays, he would have the children of the Iron Range (Minnesota) miners, from Grand Rapids to Virginia, come to his office, have their eyes checked and then fit them with the proper set of glasses, all free of charge.”
Wrapped up in this good news from the past is also a reminder that sometimes, when one dream ends, a better one begins.
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One Hit Wonders Can Still Pack an Emotional Punch…
May 10, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Today I was doing some research for a customer. This particular customer loves to collect obituaries from music and film stars of a bygone era. As I worked through his want list, I came upon a singer named Bobby Fuller. Unlike other stars on this want list, I had never heard of 
Bobby… or so I thought. Upon further research I discovered he was a “1 hit wonder” from 1966 and had released the song, “I Fought the Law and the Law Won”. As soon as I saw the title, a big smile formed. I am not sure where I had 1st heard the song… after all, I would have only been 2 on it’s release date however, somewhere in my earliest memories my parents must have played it or I heard it on a passing radio station. However it happened, the song left an indelible imprint on my young mind and those happy feelings came flooding back. I grabbed my i-phone and quickly brought up the song on my Spotify account and for a few moments was transformed to a simpler time. I am sure I’m not the only one who spent time growing up listening to music with their parents or watching old movies with their Mam Maw. For those of you who delight in those old memories as much as I do, here is a quick search of some of the issues we have with Stars of Past. Feel free to peruse my list or start a personal favorites search to create your own.
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The Gentleman’s Magazine & Bankruptcy…
May 8, 2021 by Stephanie Williams · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Under the illustration of St. John’s Gate that introduces each issue of the Gentleman’s Magazine, is the month and year, followed by the table of contents (each issue via the link will show an image of this – typically the last image posted). For the first time, I noticed the calligraphy that follows “CONTAINING” and precedes the article headings and their corresponding page numbers. “More in Quantity and greater Variety than any Book of the Kind and Price.” While I have nothing to compare it to, I can attest that of the thirty-seven distinct articles listed for March of 1782, the subject matter ranges from Parliamentary debates to a Swiss underground road, and includes bull-baiting and the wool trade along the way. The regular coverage of weather, news from around the world, births and marriages and deaths, trials, and literary reviews is fit in around the special bits.
In particular, my interest was caught by “Usual Causes of Bankruptcy, Caution against — ” and turned to page 138 to read.
In all ages there have been men, who, by sudden losses, by entering into indiscreet obligations, by improvident conduct, or through fraudulent designs, have become, or pretended to become, incompetent to the discharges of their just debts; but the number of bankrupts which now appear in every Gazette is a subject of serious and alarming consideration.
Along with the obvious financial harm that can be caused by frivolous living and participation in gambling, the author addresses the lack of care and foresight that must be viewed as the social responsibility of every gentleman, in order to enable him to properly discharge his debts and contribute to the public funds by means of taxes. He recommends annual reflection for the purpose of seeing areas of weakness in funding, and to not allow debts to unknowingly pile up beyond the ability to repay. Then, he maintains, steps toward frugality can be made in enough time to avert distress. Finally, he offers as example the late Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen who he terms a “virtuous citizen.” He records the words of Sir Stephen, addressed to the Livery, as he deems them of value to the general population. The speech concludes in this way:
I do further declare that it is my determined resolution to continue living in the same frugal manner, till the last shilling is discharged; and in case any turn of fortune should happen to me, my whole just debts shall be discharged so much the sooner, as I am determined to persevere in preserving the character of an honest man.
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Many Thanks to Give…
May 3, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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My family often jokes with me (maybe about me ) when they say, “she can use Disney World as an example for anything.” They aren’t wrong and have accurately pegged me as a bit of a Disney fanatic. I won’t bore you with all the reasons I have for loving this place but I will tell you how it came to mind today as I was perusing an issue published by Frederick Douglass. For those of you who have visited Disney World or more specifically Epcot, I hope you have experienced Spaceship Earth. I never tire of riding this attraction and hearing Dame Judy Dench recount mankind’s history of communication to me as I gaze at the vignettes on each side of my “time machine”. At one point, she is describing how, since the invention of papyrus, knowledge is able to be kept and shared more easily and so civilization advances more rapidly until …
“Rome falls, and the great Library of Alexandria in Egypt is burned. Much of our learning is destroyed—lost forever… or so we think. It turns out there are copies of some of these books in the libraries of the Middle East, being watched over by Arab and Jewish scholars. Call it the first backup system. The books are saved, and with them our dreams of the future.”
I get shivers every time I hear those words… so much knowledge… so much history… so many pages. Just now, as I pause to admire this precious Frederick Douglass paper lying on my desk, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people we, the collectors of historic newspapers, have to thank for watching over the issues that later end up in our hands. Precious treasures of knowledge and history handed off to us, if even for a moment, to guard for future generations.
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Announcing: Catalog #306 (for May, 2021) is now available…
April 30, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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- Catalog 306 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 306 ($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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I Would Love to Have Them All…
April 22, 2021 by LauraH · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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As you can imagine, working here at the RareNewspapers office can be a bit like a kid working in a candy shop. Almost daily I push the thought, “Maybe I should buy this one for myself”, to the back of my mind. Sometimes it is because of the historic impact of the content I am seeing and the deep desire to personally protect it for posterity. Sometimes it is because the issue triggers a fond memory and whisks me away to another day. Last week this thought would not stay in the back of my mind but continued to crash to the forefront over and over. Finally, with my many rationalizations in hand, I pulled out my credit card and purchased the issue. Feelings of nostalgia of a simpler by gone era washed over me as I paged through my new treasure. This treasure is mine however, if you are ever drawn to that same simpler time, we here at the RareNewspapers office have other options for you to consider. There is truly something for everyone. I may have been drawn to the vintage ads, drawings, paper dolls and old stories, but there is so much more. Take a moment to step back in time. Sometimes those brief moments are all that are needed to add a bit of perspective to the “thoroughly modern” life we currently live.
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The April (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 19, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
Welcome to the September 2020 edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we’d like to bring your attention to the following:
An Expanded Set of Discounted Newspapers – 50% Off
New Items Added to January’s Catalog
Since Catalog 302 went to print we’ve added approximately 50 additional items. Some of the topics/issues include: a mid-1700’s map of Eastern Canada, Convicts shipped off to America and Oglethorpe before the founding Georgia in the same issue, several different rare Confederate newspapers, George Washington rejects an honor and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in the same American issue, a Philip Burke caricature of Donald Trump, and more.
Catalog 302
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- The August (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
Snapshot July,1814… The war of 1812 ends nearly a year earlier than we thought…
April 19, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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While for years most of us were taught that The War of 1812 ended in February, 1815, we just unearthed a reliable source which makes it obvious we’ve been sold a bill of goods. How do we know? The highly respected Columbian Centinel, printed in Boston from 1790 through 1840, obtained a Proclamation from President James Madison declaring the war to be over and printed it in their July 2, 1814 newspaper. Furthermore, this announcement was signed in block type by the President himself – confirming its authenticity. Knowing this would be met with a degree of skepticism, we’ve included the evidence for all to see:
However, whenever something doesn’t pass the smell test from a few inches away, it’s often wise to pull back and take a whiff from a greater distance…
Perspective beyond the end of our own noses can change everything!
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The April (2021) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 16, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment Email This Post
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Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
Welcome to the April 2021 edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we’d like to bring your attention to the following:
An Expanded Set of Discounted Newspapers – 50% Off
New Items Added to April’s Catalog
Since Catalog 305 went to print we’ve added approximately 50 additional items. Some of the topics/issues include: a Frank Leslie’s Illustrated issue on the hanging of the “Lincoln Conspirators”, Babe Ruth as a Baltimore Oriole (quite rare), a hard-to-find 1840 campaign newspaper, the “fixed” boxing match between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard – 26 rounds, a great map of Jamaica in 1762, and more.
Catalog 305
Speaking of the catalog, some links which you may find useful include:
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