The Traveler… up from the ashes…

April 17, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today I traveled to New York City by the way of the Harper’s Weekly dated April 20, 1867. In the issue I found the reporting of the “Burning of the Lindell Hotel, at Saint Louis, Missouri, blog-4-17-2017-lindell-hotel-fireMarch 30, 1867″. “…The Lindell is admitted to have been the largest building for purposes of accommodation ever erected in America. It was six stories high exclusive of attic and basement; and was divided into the five hundred and thirty rooms, and the largest of which was 116 by 44 feet. The actual cost of the building was $950,000, which, with the ground (valued at $326,400), makes the whole value $1, 276,400 — note to speak of furniture, $500,000 worth or which was imported… The efforts of the firemen were not relaxed, though it was evident that they would prove futile; the full force of the Department was steadily at work until 3 o’clock on the morning of March 31, at which time all the inner work was consume, and a considerable portion of the walls had fallen in, and the once imposing hotel was a mass of crumbling, blackened ruins.”

Almost immediately, the citizens of Lindell began assembling to discuss the rebuilding of the hotel. New construction began in September of 1872 with the opening in September of 1874.

~The Traveler

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Filed under: Harper's Weekly, Illustrated Newspapers, Post Civil War, The Hobby
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The impact of graphics – Golda Meir’s death…

April 13, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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Over the past several years we’ve been running a series: Great Headlines Speak For Themselves. However, as true as this may be, quite often corresponding illustrations, photos, and other graphics speak volumes. In my humble opinion, such is the case with the front page of the *St. Petersburg Times dated December 9, 1978 (see below). I’m not a graphic designer by an means, but I couldn’t help but be impacted by the emotion portrayed by Jack Barrett’s illustration. If I were in charge of handing out awards…*Considering her place of birth (Russia), I also appreciate the irony that this great item appears in the St. Petersburg Times (albeit St. Petersburg, Florida).

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Filed under: Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The 20th & 21st Centuries
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The never-ending debate: half full vs. half empty…

April 10, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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I’ve heard some say with a degree of frustration that approximately one-half of all people view life through a half-empty prism. Of course I’ve heard others express relief that approximately the same percentage of people have learned how to count their blessings. These polar-opposite, life-defining, joy-determining paradigms have been battling it out for quite some time. With this world-view tension as the backdrop, please enjoy the following article from the Findlay (Ohio) Daily Jeffersonian dated December 17, 1880:

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An April, 2017 stroll back thru time – 50, 100, 150, 200, & 250 years ago…

April 6, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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What news was reported in the month of April – 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 years ago (1967, 1917, 1867, 1817, 1767)? Such a walk back through time via the eyes of those who read the daily and weekly newspapers of the period can be quite revealing. This is why we often say, “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day it was first reported.” The following links will take you back in time to show the available newspapers from the Rare & Early newspapers website. There’s no need to buy a thing. Simply enjoy the stroll.
April:
1967 – 50 years ago
1917 – 100 years ago
1867 – 150 years ago
1817 – 200 years ago
1767 – 250 years ago
Wanting for more? Why not take a year-long gander at 1667, 1717, 1767, 1817, 1867, 1917, and/or 1967?

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Filed under: Colonial, Great Headlines, Harper's Weekly, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, The 1500's - 1700's, The 1700's, The 20th & 21st Centuries
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The Traveler… marching off to war…

April 3, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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blog-4-3-2017-wwiToday’s journey took me to New York City where I found The New York Times of April 3, 1917 had a dreadful headline… “President Calls For War Declaration, Stronger Navy, New Army of 500,000 Men, Full Co-Operation with German’s Foes”. “At 8:30 o’clock tonight the United States virtually made its entrance into the war. At that hour President Wilson appeared before a joint session of the senate and House and invited it to consider the fact that Germany had been making war upon us and to take action in recognition of that fact…”

Enough said.

~The Traveler

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Announcing: Catalog #257 – for April, 2017 – is now available…

March 31, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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Rare Newspapers’ monthly offering of collectible newspapers, Catalog 257, is now available. This latest collection of authentic newspapers is comprised of more than 350 new items. Some of the noteworthy content includes: a front page account of the Battle of Brandywine, a rare “camp” newspaper from 1861, The Constitution of the United States, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Benedict Arnold on the Battle of Quebec, an uncommon beardless print of Abraham Lincoln, and more. Key items which include the remaining items from the above may be viewed at: Noteworthy Catalog 257

Whereas the entire catalog is shown at Catalog 257, the following links are intended to aid in quickly finding items from the catalog based on era:

1500-1799 (full view OR quick-scan/compact view)
1800-1899 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)
1900-2015 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)

To view items from both the current and the previous catalog, go to: Combined Catalog

Note: The links shown above will expire in approximately 30 days.

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Filed under: Announcements, Business News, Catalog Release Announcements, Civil War, Collecting Newspapers, Colonial, Confederate, Death Reports, Great Headlines, Harper's Weekly, Illustrated Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Old West Era, Post Civil War, Pre Civil War, Revolutionary War, Sports, The 1500's, The 1600's, The 1700's, The 19th Century, The 20th & 21st Centuries, The War of 1812, Winslow Homer, Yankee
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There are “snowflakes”, and then there’s Donn Fendler…

March 27, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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We recently became familiar with Donn Fendler, who in 1939, at the age of 12, survived 9 days (article says 8) in the remote mountains of Maine after becoming separated from his family. The account of his “adventure” certainly provides a strong contrast between “snowflakes” and those who have the fortitude to look extreme difficulty square in the face and move forward. His tale reminds us of Knute Rockne’s (or was it Joseph Kennedy’s?) well-worn words: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” And, as for “snowflakes”? When the heat gets turned up…

Please enjoy the coverage of Donn’s day of rescue found in The New York Times, July 26, 1939.

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Filed under: Food for Thought, The 20th & 21st Centuries, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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Put your money where your mouth is… The Jewish Sabbath…

March 23, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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While one of our Rare & Early Newspapers‘ staff was researching a client request she noticed an interesting Judaic-themed article on the front page of a National Intelligencer dated June 14, 1842 which proves saying: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”. I wonder if the ruling by this mid-1800’s judge has an implications for today. The same issue also had Dorr Rebellion content which led us to brush up on our mid-1800’s history. Such is the pleasure of the rare newspapers collectible. Please enjoy.

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The Traveler… digging up skeletons…

March 20, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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blog-3-20-2017-black-assizeI journeyed today to Gloucester, England, through The Glocester Journal dated March 23, 1767. I found an interesting article “Last week the skeleton of a man in setters, with one jaw and some of the large bones perfect, was dug up in removing some ground in our Castle Green, eastward of the ruins of the old County Hall, memorable as the place wherein was held the fatal black assize, in the year 1577… upwards of 500 other persons were infected by a gaol disease, and died between the sixth of July and the tenth of August. This skeleton is by some conjectured to be the remains of one Rowland Jenkes, the person condemned at the assize for for sedition, and who was at the bar when the dreadful catastrophe befel the court…”. This was pertaining to the “Black Assize”.

As per wikipedia: The Black Assize is a name given to multiple deaths in the city of Oxford in England between July 6 and August 12, 1577. At least 300 people, including the chief baron and sheriff, are thought to have died as a result of this event. It received its name because it was believed to have been associated with a trial at the Assize Court at Oxford Castle.  A 19th-century account is more sure of the cause: ‘The assize held at Oxford in the year 1577, called the “Black Assize,” was a dreadful instance of the deadly effects of the jail fever. The judges, jury, witnesses, nay, in fact every person, except the prisoners, women and children, in court were killed by a foul air, which at first was thought to have arisen out of the bowels of the earth; but that great philosopher, Lord Bacon, proved it to have come from the prisoners taken out of a noisome jail and brought into court to take their trials; and they alone, inhaling foul air, were not injured by it.’

~The Traveler

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Separation of Church and State conflict, or good advice?

March 16, 2017 by · Leave a Comment 
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While the last few decades have bestowed upon us considerable discussion in regards to the intended meaning of the separation of Church and State, one cannot deny the abundance of religious references which have peppered the language of Presidents, regardless of their personal faith (or lack thereof), from the onset of the Union through the present. One such example is found in the June 15, 1845 issue of The New York Times, which prints the text (see below) of the letter President Ulysses S. Grant wrote to the children and youth of America at the request of the editor of The Sunday School Times for insertion into their Centennial Edition. The letter emphasizes the importance of the Bible in regards to life and liberty: “My advice to Sunday Schools, no matter what their denomination, is: Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your heart, and PRACTICE THEM IN YOUR LIVES. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future. ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.’ Yours respectfully, U. S. Grant”.

Mere religious blather, or good advice rooted in truth? Thoughts?

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