The reason I collected it: never-bound issues…
January 24, 2025 by TimHughes Email This Post
|
Print This Post
For the serious collector, the ideal state for a collectible newspaper is one as sold on the streets or delivered to a subscriber, meaning never having been bound nor trimmed at the margins, and almost certainly read by someone on the day of issue. They are, however, in the minority of those available on the collector market.
Most newspapers found today were, at one point, bound into a volume, either 3 months, 6 months, or a full year’s editions per volume depending on the number of pages. Binding consecutive issues was an efficient way for institutions to store newspapers on their shelves, making them easily available for researchers, looking much like a large book with the spine noting the title and time period. Most were guillotined at the edges to make the three exposed margins even and more aesthetically pleasing, albeit with the loss of a small portion of the original newspaper.
With the advent of microfilm and microfiche–and now digital storage–institutions began converting their holdings to such user-friendly formats, often discarding the hard copies to save space on their shelves. Such discarded volumes often found their way into the hands of collectors who disbound the volumes to secure those issues of significance for their collections. Disbound newspapers are usually easy to spot as they often have glue remnants at the spine and/or binding slits, holes or irregularity where strings once held the issues into the volume. Issues as sold on the streets will not have binding evidence at the spine and their margins are wider and typically uneven, evidence of the limitations of paper-making in the era.
Not surprisingly, disbound issues tend to be in better condition having been protected by the bindings for 100 years or more. They are also far more plentiful than never-bound issues. Never-bound newspapers did not enjoy such protection through the years and tend to show more wear or staining, most having been lost or destroyed in time. So when a never-bound newspaper is found in great condition, it is a rarity and a prime choice for a personal collection.
There is an emotional intrigue to never-bound issues as well which no collector should overlook.
Bound issues were more typically set aside on the day printed, stacked, and later bound into a volume without having been read by anyone on the date issued, and perhaps by no one for hundreds of years. It’s the same paper, original to the date, but more emotionally sterile.
Never-bound newspapers were once owned by a subscriber (name typically handwritten at the top) or purchased at the corner newsstand allowing today’s collector a sense of fascination in holding & reading a newspaper once read by someone many years ago. One gains a more personal appreciation of history knowing the subscriber first learned of Lincoln’s assassination from the newspaper now in your collection. Remember, no radio, television, or internet announcing the event within moments of it happening.
Enjoy the hobby, and when the option permits, think about being more discriminating in what ends up in your collection.
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...
- The reason I collected it: magazines in original bindings…
- Bound or unbound: what’s the difference?
- Uncut newspapers: leave as they are?
- Wrappers and no wrappers…
- Removing old newspapers from bound volumes (disbinding)…
Comments
One Response to “The reason I collected it: never-bound issues…”
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
[…] The reason I collected it: never-bound issues… […]