Merry Christmas from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…

December 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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Merry Christmas. A few weeks ago I asked our staff to submit one of their favorite Christmas-themed prints from our website. Their selections were quite varied. If you have a personal favorite from RareNewspapers.com, feel free to share.

Without commentary, the staff’s selections are shown below.

Merry Christmas!

Oh, and the rest of us selected one for the staff member who did not submit their favorite:

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The Titanic orphans: the rest of the story…

December 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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One of the advantages of reading a newspaper with fascinating reports from long ago is the ability to investigate and see how the “event” came to a conclusion.

Such is a case with a Detroit newspaper dated six days after the Titanic’s sinking which had a front page photo of the: ” ‘Orphans Of The Titanic:’ Parents Gone and Even Names Unknown“, the caption noting in part that the: “…two little orphans, who were found clasped in each others’ arms in one of the lifeboats…thought to be the children of an unknown…French couple…The little ones speak only French…all efforts to establish their identity have so far failed…”.
And there the story ends for readers of that April 21, 1912 issue of the Detroit News-Tribune. One wonders what became of the unfortunate children.
Well, they were part of an intriguing story with a good ending.

This link has the details, but in short, the children’s father absconded from France with the boys after losing custody of them in a divorce settlement. The father died on the Titanic, and photos of the boys in newspapers were identified by the mother in France, who would soon be reunited with them.

Did you ever read a news report from  a century ago and wonder how it finished out? The internet makes it possible to find out!

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Niles’ Registers from 1820 – unearthing interesting content (part 1)

December 17, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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Earlier this year Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers offered free issues of 200-year-old Niles’ Registers with a request for collectors to let us know if they found interesting, historical or unusual content within the issue they received. Below is the 1st installment of their “finds”. Enjoy.

Collector L.D.  from New Jersey –

“Niles’ Weekly Register” – April 1, 1820.

Located on the front page.

Well I can’t say that I’m an expert on 1820s vernacular, I read this article from the edition I received and it seems (more than) a bit odd. “Covering the country with smiles” sounds like something that would’ve been said in today’s way of speaking, but not something that would’ve been said 200 years ago. Thoughts?

Collector J.T. from Georgia –

“Niles’ Weekly Register” – November 11, 1820.

In the “Foreign Articles” section Page 15 of 16.

Interesting find – News of the suicide of the first and last King of Haiti.

“HAYTI”

“King Henry has committed suicide by blowing out his brains. One account says that he did the deed in July, and that the event was kept secret to secure the succession of his son; and another that it happened about the 1st of October. But it seems certain that he is dead. He had been struck with a paralytic, and no longer able to command his troops, they became mutinous, and revolted at St. Marks – he ordered five regiments to march and punish the insurgents — they refused, and then his kingship made his exit. A body of 6000 troops……. etc.”

Wikipedia History reports that, “His son and heir was assassinated 10 days later.”

For historical references see: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q7lfSjjMNU8
and
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Christophe “… He built the famous Citadelle Laferrière, a fortress south of his capital at Cap-Haïtien. In August 1820 he suffered a paralytic stroke. When his condition was learned, revolts broke out. In despair over his failure to pacify the country, he shot himself at Sans-Souci palace (the citadel and palace were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1982), and his kingdom became part of the Haitian republic in 1821. …”
Also:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Christophe

 

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Earliest Lincoln letter published in a newspaper?

December 14, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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Finding the earliest mention of notable people in period newspapers, long before they would become national figures, is a quest of many. Such nuggets–when found–can become treasured pieces for any collection.
We recently discovered what, by our research, is the earliest letter signed by Lincoln to appear in a newspaper. The “New York Weekly Tribune” of July 8, 1848 printed a letter signed A. Lincoln from when he was a representative from Illinois in the national legislature (see photos).In our 44 years of experience this is the earliest we have encountered. One would think letters may have appeared in his local Springfield, Illinois newspaper but lacking the holdings to do such research we can only speculate.

Are any collectors out there aware of an earlier published letter signed by Lincoln? Let the collecting world know!

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The United States elections – a bumpy walk through time…

December 11, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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(false report – Rutherford B Hayes won)

The first president of the United States, George Washington, was elected by a unanimous decision in 1789 [the election process started in 1788]. Since then few elections, whether for mayor, governor, president, etc., have sailed on such smooth waters – and the preponderance of elections outside the U.S. have not fared any better. While the privilege and responsibility of citizens of democracies to exercise their right to elect those whom they wish to lead them cannot be understated, the process is often fraught with civic and relational tension. However, once the election is in the rear view mirror, in most instances wounds are eventually healed and sunny skies return – even if it takes months.

We at Rare & Early Newspapers have created a link to our available election-related issues and arranged them in chronological order. There may be a few stray issues which do not belong in the list, but hopefully those who have an interest in such things will appreciate the somewhat tumultuous stroll through time.

Elections Through Time

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Snapshot 1775… A prayer for the country and its leaders…

December 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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We recently sent sent out high-resolution images of a Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, VA) dated July 20, 1775 which included coverage of the “Causes & Necessity of Taking up Arms”, the last appeal for peace, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. Within hours we were receiving an abundance of responses from those who had read the issue, and guess what was commented on most frequently? The coverage of the “Causes & Necessity of Taking up Arms”? No. The last appeal for peace? No again. Perhaps the report regarding the Battle of Bunker Hill? No, no, and again no. What captured the attention of most of those who responded was an anonymous prayer printed on the front page. Without commentary, I include this prayer below.

Dear Lord, As America continues to wrestle with election issues, my prayer is that no matter who You enable to hold positions of leadership/authority, You will direct their steps – whether they acknowledge You or not. I pray You will give them wisdom, humility, and compassion for all whom they serve. I am also grateful for Your sovereign will, and rest in the hope beyond reason which has already revealed the end of the story. Amen!

Note: To our readers, if anyone knows who wrote the above prayer from 1775, please let us know. Thanks.

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My Collecting Story… G.F. in Lexington, Virginia…

December 3, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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Continued below in the next installment in our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic which began in 2020.

I love US history and as soon as I earned a permanent salary, I started visiting historical sites and eventually turned to collecting items of interest, particularly US Civil War. I collected many of my Harper’s from numerous civil war shows; my favorite is a Richmond Examiner, 23 June 1864 (long before I knew about the RareNewspapers.com website); it talked of Sherman’s campaign and how it would end like Napoleon’s in Russia! Great reading. Years went by and I am a docent at the Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington, VA (come by when this contagion is past and we’re open again). I prepared a presentation on Jackson in the Mexican War; I came across your site and ordered a “National Intelligencer,” 16 Nov 1847 and “The Union,” also dated 1847. Future Civil War luminaries their exploits abound. Finally, and not about the Civil War, my wife loves to explore Scottish roots and your site had several papers regarding the Scottish rebellion of 1746, referencing the battle of Culloden – yep, I bought it as a Christmas gift for her. Your site piques my curiosity and I’ll remain a customer!

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

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Happy Birthday to us!

December 2, 2020 by · 1 Comment 
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Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers celebrated its 45th birthday yesterday. Many changes have occurred since Tim Hughes’ first sale back on December 1, 1975, but the love of the hobby has never been stronger. A special thanks goes out to our collecting family who has made the last 45 years such a blessing. As we blew out the candles, our wish was for the peace, safety, current depth of life, and eternal hope for all those who have crossed our path. May it be so.

With gratitude,

Guy, Laura, Lyndsay, Brian, Mike, Eve, and Tim (The Rare Newspapers Family)

 

PS  Full confession: We may have also wished for the continued sales of our historic newspapers. 🙂

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Announcing: Catalog #301 (for December, 2020) is now available…

November 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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http://images.rarenewspapers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/ebayimgs/Webs/Catalog-Rare-Newspapers.jpg

Catalog 301 (for December) is now available. This latest offering of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 300 new items, a selection which includes: Bunker Hill & more great content in the ‘Virginia Gazette’, the Gettysburg Address on the front page, the desired ‘New York Herald’ reporting Lincoln’s assassination, the renowned ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ newspaper, the Titanic is still afloat, Washington’s state-of-the-union address), and more.

 

The following links are designed to help you explore this latest edition of our catalog:

 

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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Reflecting on 2020 as we approach Thanksgiving…

November 23, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 
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“Count your blessings, name them one by one…”

2020 has certainly been quite the year. There’s no doubt it came with more than its share of difficulties; however, history is pregnant with years fraught with an abundance of pain, suffering, and death. I admit, there have been occasions when the onslaught of bad news has weighed heavily upon my mind, but thankfully, there have been more than enough moments when I’ve been checked back from allowing negative thoughts to win the day.

Such was the case when I took notice of the November 18, 1918 issue of the Springfield Republican (see below). In the midst of the horrors brought on by the Spanish Flu Epidemic, President Woodrow Wilson continued the presidential tradition of proclaiming a day for thanksgiving and prayer. What particularly caught my attention was seeing the bordered text of the Thanksgiving Proclamation surrounded on three sides by WWI reports from all over the world, a mere 6 inches from an article updating the readers of the current death toll of the pandemic. “A rose among thorns” came to mind, followed by a flashback to my childhood – as I could almost hear my (recently deceased) mother’s words yet again: “No matter how bad you think things are, there are people throughout the world who have it much worse than you do. Never stop counting your blessings.” Of course I wouldn’t always immediately comply, which prompted her follow-up: “Wipe that sour look off your face before it gets stuck that way.”

So, it is with these thoughts in mind I hope, wish, and pray for our “collecting” family to have a Thanksgiving overflowing with… thanksgiving.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

[repeat refrain]

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—money cannot buy,
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

[repeat refrain]

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

[repeat refrain]

Lyrics by Johnson Oatman, Jr.

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