Historic Newspapers: New Additions

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, Wednesday, March 18, 1931

* "Dracula" the movie - opening day
* Vampires - pre-code Bela Lugosi film
* Detroit premiere advertisement (2 days prior)

Page 20 has the opening day advertisement for the premiere of the pre-code vampire film "DRACULA" in Detroit, Michigan ion Friday. (see images) This ad measures 5 x 4 inches and has a image of Bela Lugosi. 
Also on the same page is a short article with heading: "Vampire's Victim" with photo.
Complete with all 28 pages, light…

NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, April 7, 1942

* Battle of Bataan ending
* Allies surrendering to Japanese
* Philippines Campaign
* World War II - WWII

The front page has a nice banner headline in bold lettering: "BATAAN ATTACKS INCREASE IN FURY WITH HEAVY LOSS" with subhead. (see images) Nice for display. This Luzon Island province would fall two days later. The Japanese capture would eventually lead to the infamous Bataan Death March.
Complete with all 26 pages, light toning and minor wear at the margins,…

NEW YORK POST, Nov. 21, 1941 

* Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann declaration
* Impending post world War II Jewish refugees 
* Jews to have a future homeland in Palestine ? 

The top of page 13 has a one column heading: "Jewish Future Is in Palestine" (see images)
Complete with all 38 pages, light toning at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, generally in good condition.

Background: The events of late November 1941 marked a critical geopolitical pivot that irrevocably bound the fate of…

NEW YORK POST, Nov. 10, 1941 

* Winston Churchill's Mansion House speech 
* Declares England with fight against Japan 
* If they attack U.S. - World War II - WWII

The front page has a nice banner headline: "'WE'LL JOIN U. S. IN HOUR IF JAPS FIGHT'--CHURCHILL" (see images)
Complete with all 26 pages, light toning and minor wear at the margins, some small binding holes along the spine, generally nice.

Background: The historical significance of Churchill’s November 10, 1941 speech lies in its role as…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 16, 1949 

* Pope Pius XII's second encyclical 
* Jerusalem Israel & Palestine ordeal 
* Jews - Jewish - Judaica - Arabs 

The top of the front page has a two column heading: "Pope Wants Israel to Assure Catholic Rights in Palestine" with subhead. (see images) Complete text of the Pope's encyclical is on page 7.
Compete with all 28 pages, rag edition in nice condition.

Background: The significance of Redemptoris nostri cruciatus lies in its foundational role in shaping modern…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 18, 1949

* Republic of Ireland is born
* Leaves the British Commonwealth
* "First Freedom Day"

The top of the front page has a two column heading: "Irish Hail Birth of Republic With Fanfare and Jubilation" with subhead. (see images) 
Complete with 38 pages, light toning at the margins, nice condition.

Background: The birth of the Republic of Ireland on April 18, 1949, was a watershed moment that marked the final, formal severing of Ireland’s constitutional ties to the…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, section 11 only (Sunday edition), December 9, 1928

* George Bernard Shaw lecture
* Fabian Society - British socialist organization
* "The Future of Western Civilization"

The front page of this section 11 only has a nice banner headline: "SHAW PEERS DEEPLY INTO THE FURTURE; As Prophet of Western Civilization, He Sees the Main Struggle Between a Narrow Science and a Broad Culture, With Labor in Control of Government and Big Business in Command of Industry" with nice illustration.…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 10, 1966 

* Civil Rights movement of the 1960's
* Southern "Jim Crow" segregation 

The top of the front page has a two column headline: "CIVIL RIGHTS BILL PASSED IN HOUSE BY 259-157 VOTE" with subheads. (see images) More on page 29. 
Complete with all 68 pages, good condition.

Background: The passing of the 1966 civil rights bill by the House of Representatives—and its subsequent death by Senate filibuster—signaled a critical turning point in the civil rights movement,…

NEW YORK TIMES, July 17, 1865  

* Post Abraham Lincoln assassination
* Owner of Ford's Theater letter signed

Page 5 has one-third of a column headed: "Ford's Theatre--Letter from the Proprietor to a Clergyman" which is a letter signed by John T. Ford concerning a minister's opinion on reopening the theater. It is very rare to find in newspapers letters signed by the proprietor of Ford's Theater, particuarly in his defense of attempting to reopen his theater after the assassination.
Page 5 also…

MASONIC MIRROR, Philadelphia & New  York, Feb. 17, 1858 

* Masonic - free masonry - Masons
* Pre American Civil War era 

In the dateline is: "Devoted To The Diffusion Of Masonic Intelligence, Fine Arts, Literature, News, etc." This little newspaper published for the Masons has a very graphic, Masonic-theme engraving in the masthead (see).
Twelve pages, 8 1/2 by 11 1/4 inches, great condition.

Background: The publication of the Masonic Mirror in February 1858 carries profound historical significance…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 5, 1929

* New York Yankees "barnstorming" tour in the Southwest
* Babe Ruth & the Yanks at Waco, Texas for baseball game 
* German engine designer Karl Benz death (1st report)
* Inventor of 1st automobile ? - Mercedes-Benz co-founder

The top of page 20 has a six column heading: "11,000 Acclaim Ruth as Yankees Defeat Waco Team, 13-3" with subheads and box scores. (see images)
Page 25 has a one column heading: "CARL BENZ, 84, DIES; MADE FIRST AUTO" with subheads. First report…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, August 31, 1947

* Manolete gored & killed - bullfighter
* Manual Laureano Rodriguez Sanchez
* Miura bull Islero - bullfighting
* Funeral & burial 

Page 12 has a one column heading: "Matador Manolete Burid With Honors" (see) See image for text here.
Complete 1st section only with all 40 pages, rag edition in very nice condition.

Background: The death of Manolete marked the end of an era and fundamentally altered the cultural and psychological landscape of post-Civil War Spain. As…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass., March 13, 1956

* "Southern Manifesto"signing 
* United States Congress presentation
* Defense of White Supremacy - racism
* "Jim Crow" era of the Southern Democrats

The top of page 4 has a one column heading: "RACIAL ISSUE DEBATE FLARES IN U.S. SENATE" with subhead. (see images) 
Complete with all 34 pages, light toning at the margins, good condition. 

Background: On March 12, 1956, the presentation of the Southern Manifesto to Congress marked a definitive, polarizing

CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE, Dec. 30, 1945

* Adolf Hitler & Eva Braun
* Last will and testament found
* Mystery child ? - suicide plans 

The top of the front page has a nice banner headline for display: "HITLER'S FAREWELL PAPERS!" with subheads and small photo of Braun. (see images) Lengthy report continues inside.
Complete 1st section only with all 18 pages, light toning at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, generally in very nice condition.

Background: The discovery and publication of…

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Feb. 24, 1932

* January 28 Incident
* Shanghai, China
* Japanese offensive

The top of the front page has a nice banner headline: "HUGE JAP BOMB RAID FAILS" with subheads. A few related photos on the back page. Always nice to have notable events in history reported in this World famous publication.
Complete with 28 pages, rag edition in great condition. A few small binding holes along the spine.

Background: The February 24, 1932, rag edition of the Chicago Tribune captures a…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, June 5, 1930

* Blenheim - Thoroughbred race horse
* Wins Epsom Derby - Surrey, England UK
* Owner Aga Khan III

The sport's section (page 19) has a banner headline: "500,000 See Blenheim, 18 to 1 Shot, Win English Derby; The Scout II Is 15th" with subheads and photo. (see images) First report coverage on Blenhhaim, owned by Aga Khan III, winning the Epsom Derby
Complete with 52 pages, rag edition in nice condition.

Background: The 1930 Epsom Derby was a watershed moment that…

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, February 26, 1948 

* Communists take over Czechoslovakia 
* Czechoslovak coup d'etat
* Soviet Union - Russia

The front page has a one column heading: "Czech Police Open Fire on Students" with subhead and related photo. (see images)
Complete with all 30 pages, light toning and a little wear at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, generally in good condition.

Background: The 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état, captured so vividly on the front page of The Detroit Free…

Sunday edition CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, Dec. 30, 1990 

* West Coast hip-hop gangsta rap music 
* M.C. Hammer - Vanilla Ice and more 

Often revered as the undisputed "bible" of Hollywood, the Sunday Calendar section occupied a rare space in journalism where a single publication could simultaneously dictate global entertainment trends and govern the inner workings of show business. Today, physical copies are an absolute rarity, largely because they were printed on standard,…

DAILY WORKER, New York, Feb. 22, 1956

* Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott
* Negroes hold meeting to continue 
* Ralph Abernathy & other key figures

This publication, The Worker, represents the official voice and ideological "mouthpiece" of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) during one of the most volatile periods of the Cold War.
The front page has a heading that reads: "Alabama Negroes Bar Bus Compromise". (see images)
Original physical issues of The Worker from the 1950s are exceptionally rare today

LOS ANGELES TIMES, June 1, 1980 

* Oregon State Hospital investigated expose
* 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Near the bottom of the front page has a  heading: "Criminals Face Reality in Experiment" with lead-in: "LOCALE FOR 'CUCKOO'S NEST'" (SEE IMAGES)
Complete 1st section only with 30 pages, nice condition.

Background: The significance of the 1980 Oregon State Hospital "experiment"—and Dave Smith's sharp-eyed chronicling of it—lies in how it exposed the structural failures of a…

THE KNICKERBOCKER PRESS, March 16, 1933  

* Early newspaper advertisement (eve)
* King Kong, the movie for opening day

The back page has a 8 1/2 x 6 inch advertisement for the opening day premiere of "KING KONG" in Albany the very next day. (see images)
Complete with 16 pages, light toning and a little wear at the margins, irregular along the spine, generally good.

Background: The Albany premiere of King Kong on March 17, 1933, arrived at a pivotal cultural and economic crossroads for both the…

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, August 31, 1942

* Battle of Milne Bay
* World War II - WWII
* Pacific theater campaign

The front page has a nice headline: "M'ARTHUR TRAPS JAPS IN MILNE BAY AMBUSH" with subheads. (see images) 
Complete 1st section only with 8 pages a little light staining, a few small binding holes along the spine, generally in good condition.

Background: The Battle of Milne Bay, culminating in the decisive stand at No. 3 Airstrip on August 31, 1942, was a monumental psychological and…

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, March 26, 1933 

* Jewish persecution beginning 
* Nazi Germany gaining power 

The front page has a one column heading: "GERMAN JEWS FEAR RETURN OF OLD BONDAGE" with subhead. (see images) More on page 6.
Complete with all 26 pages, rag edition in very nice condition. A few small binding holes along the spine. 

Background: The events of March 1933 in Frankfurt am Main served as a critical, localized blueprint for the systematic destruction of Jewish life that would soon engulf…

Sunday CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, Oct. 26, 1986 

* Very early "Guns' N' Roses" & "Red Hot Chili Peppers"
* Hard "Sleaze-Rock & Alternative funk-punk music 
* Axl Rose - Slash - Izzy Stradlin - Duff McKagan - Steven Adler
* Pre "Appetite for Destruction" album release (about 8 months prior)
* UCLA - "University of California, Los Angeles" campus 

Often revered as the undisputed "bible" of Hollywood, the Sunday Calendar section occupied a rare space in journalism where a single…

Sunday CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 1999 

* Detroit rapper EMINEM album release party
* "Slim Shady" hip-hop - horrorcore rap music 
* Record label "Aftermath Entertainment" - Dr. Dre  

Often revered as the undisputed "bible" of Hollywood, the Sunday Calendar section occupied a rare space in journalism where a single publication could simultaneously dictate global entertainment trends and govern the inner workings of show business. Today, physical copies are an absolute…

NEW YORK TIMES, June 6, 1950  

* Colleges not permitted to discriminate based on race
* McLaurin vs. Oklahoma State Regents & more
* United States Supreme Court decisions

The top of the front page has a one column heading: "SEGREGATION IS BANNED IN THREE CASES" with subhead. (see images)
Complete with 30 pages, light toning at the margins, minor spine wear, generally very nice.

Background: On June 5, 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several landmark decisions advancing civil rights and…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, October 28, 1945

* "Navy Day" Central Park, New York City
* Post World War II military celebration
* President Harry S. Truman speeches & more

The front page has a nice banner headline: "TRUMAN BARS RECOGNITION OF 'IMPOSED' REGIMES AND SETS 12-POINT U. S. POLICY FOR WORLD PEACE; 5,000,000 SEE MIGHTIEST NAVAL AND AIR DISPLAY" with subheads and related photo. Lengthy coverage continues on inside pages with more photos. Loads of text.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the…

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 25, 1945 

* Creation of the United Nations - UN
* Collective security for global stability
* Post World War II universal human rights
* Institutionalized Humanitarianism

The top of the front page has a one column heading: "CHARACTER BECOMES 'LAW OF NATIONS,' 29 RATIFYING IT" (see images) 
Complete with all 38 pages, rag edition in great condition.

Background: The establishment of the United Nations on October 24, 1945, stands as a monumental pivot point in modern history,…

CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, Dec. 17, 2010

* Best "Tron: Legacy" film advertisement
* Grand Opening Day movie premiere 
* Walt Disney science fiction action

A terrific issue on the premiere of the motion picture film "Tron: Legacy" and perhaps no better issue could be found than this, the leading newspaper from the home of the entertainment industry - the Hollywood area's prime publication.

Note: Where else might one find authentic, poster-size ads for Opening Day showings, in…

LOS ANGELES TIMES, June 20, 1992 

* L.A. street gangs - Post-"The Watts Truce"
* The Bloods and the Crips rivalry ending ?

Near the bottom of the front page is a two column heading: "Gangs Demand their Place at Table of Opportunity" with subhead. Coverage continues inside with two related photos. (see images)
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was really no reason to save it at the time.
Complete with all sections (120+ pages), very nice condition.

Background: This issue…

THE NEW YORK TIMES. Sept. 13, 1933 

* Jewish boxer Barney Ross w/ photo
* World lightweight boxing championship
* vs. Tony Canzoneri at Polo Grounds in NYC

The top of page 23 has a banner heading: "35,000 See Ross Outpoint Canzoneri in World's Lightweight Title Battle" with subhead, photo of Ross and round by round description. (see images) 
Complete with all 42 pages, rag edition in great condition.

Background: The Sept. 12, 1993, rematch between Barney Ross and Tony Canzoneri holds immense…

Sunday CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1989

* First "NIRVANA" performance in L.A. 
* Early American "Grunge Rock" band 
* Al's Bar performance notice - "Bleach"
* Curt Cobain - Chad Channing - Krist Novoselic

Often revered as the undisputed "bible" of Hollywood, the Sunday Calendar section occupied a rare space in journalism where a single publication could simultaneously dictate global entertainment trends and govern the inner workings of show business. Today, physical…

CALENDAR SECTION only of the Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 1985 

* Early "Metallica" heavy metal band 
* Hollywood Palladium advertisement 
* Bassist Cliff Burton era - "Ride the Lightning"

This Calendar section of the Times is loaded with entertainment related material throughout. Page 61 has a 4 x 3 3/4 inch advertisement with a few upcoming performances at The Hollywood Palladium including one by Metallica with Armored Saint. (see images)
A very early item for this San Francisco based Heavy Metal…

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, May 8, 1936 

* Hindenburg - LZ-129 zeppelin - airship
* Very 1st flight to America - North Atlantic 
* Lakehurst, New Jersey disaster fame

The top of the front page has a one column heading: "ZEPPELIN MAKING RECORD, DUE TO ARRIVE IN U.S. AT DAWN TOMORROW" with subheads. (see images)
This was the first flight to the United States of the ill-fated Hindenburg, almost exactly one year to the day from when it would explode in flames at the same location.
Complete with all 40+…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, Jan. 15, 1985

* Iron Maiden - World Slavery Tour w/ Eddie the Head
* "Powerslave" album - English heavy metal group
* Radio City Music Hall concerts advertisement 

Page 68 has a 7 x 5 inch advertisement for "IRON MAIDEN w/ Queensryche" performances at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. (see image)
Background: The historic multi-night run by Iron Maiden at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall from January 20–23, 1985, served as a crowning…

LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 2, 1981 

* The "Wonderland Murders" & John Holmes ?
* American adult Pornographic film industry

Near the bottom of page 3 is a one column heading: "Four Found Slain in Laurel Canyon Home". (see images) 
Great to have from the capital of the adult film industry and the city where this event took place.
 I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because their was really no reason to save it at the time.
Complete 1st section only with all 28 pages, nice condition.

Background:…

ADVOCATE FAMILY GUARDIAN, New York, April 15, 1865  

* Printed the Day President Lincoln was Assassinated
* Slavery content

The front page has an article discussing slavery and how Christians should have risen to protest to be, "saved from participation in National guilt...".
Additionally, the front page has a poem which ironacally discusses the death of someone who will never be forgoten. What a beautiful, accidental tribute to the President who was about to be mourned and who did rise and stand…

LOS ANGELES TIMES (Late Final edition), Jan. 21, 1981  The front page has the full-banner heading: "Hostages Charge Iran Beatings",  with subhead: "State Dept. Doctors Find Evidence", with a related photo. Considerable additional coverage of the end of the Iran Hostage Crisis is found on inside pages.  Another front page article "Reagan Wants to Study Treaty Before OKing It". 
Other notable articles include "Kennedy, Wife Joan to End 23-Year Marriage", "Justices Clear Way for U.S. to Expel…

LOS ANGELES TIMES, Jan. 21, 1981  


* Ronald Reagan inauguration
* Iranian hostages crisis ends

The front page has two historic headlines: "Hostages Fly to Freedom - 52 Greeted as U.S. Base in Germany" and "Reagan Takes Office - Calls for 'Renewal,' Freezes Federal Jobs. Both topics include corresponding photos and additional related articles on inside pages. See images for details.
The complete 1st section only, in very good condition.

Background: The dual headlines of January 21, 1981, capture one…

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Jan. 15, 1884 

* William F. "Buffalo Bil" Cody death 
* Wild old West show fame 
* "Died with his boots on"

 Page 3 has a classic article  from the Old West with over half a column taken up with: "DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON" "Tragic Incidents in the Life of a Typical Nebraska Cowboy". Within the article is a great report noting; "...At another time he was throwing dice with Buffalo Bill in Dave Perry's saloon in North Platte when some dispute arose between them...The party…

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Nov. 16, 1776  

* Hanging of Nathan Hale - American Revolutionary War 
* "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country" fame

The back page has a letter from a man on board a ship at New York dated Sept. 25, 1776. It begins; "Our army has met with great success; we just arrived from Halifax when they made their landing on Long Island & saw the battles fought between our troops and the rebels..." with more detail (see). But it is a later sentence in…

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, December 31, 1776 and January 2, 1777  

* Battle of Long Island - New York City 
* American Revolutionary War - 2 issue set
* Continental Army - George Washington loss 

These two issues contain an excellent report on the battle for New York and the eventual evacuation of the city by George Washington.
Beginning in the Dec. 31 issue and taking over 2 complete pages is the beginning of the report which continues on the front page of the January 2, 1777 issue along with…

THE MASSACHUSETTS MAGAZINE, Boston, December, 1790  

* President George Washington
* 2nd State of the Union Address

Certainly the most notable content is the 1 1/2 pages taken up with: "President Washington's Speech" which was his second state-of-the-union address, signed by him in type: George Washington. 
The balance of the issue is taken up with a wide range of eclectic articles as noted in the title/contents page. Among the articles are: "Account of the Moravian Settlement at Bethlehem in…

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, December, 1781

* Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
* Surrender at Yorktown VA Virginia
* Revolutionary War from the enemy

Certainly the most historic report in this issue--and perhaps in any issue from the Revolutionary War--is that near the back of the issue under the "Historical Chronicle". It begins with an editorial comment: "Gen. Washington's letter to the President of Congress on the surrender of the British army under Lord Cornwallis is truly…

PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL, New York, May, 1865

* Abraham Lincoln assassination w/ print

 Phrenology is a theory that the personality traits of a person can be derived from the shape of their skull. Although holding no validity today, it was a popular science in the mid-19th century and this periodical focused on it.
The feature of this issue is the page near the back which is devoted to Abraham Lincoln, including a nice portrait of him and a black-bordered article on his life.
Seven other pages has…

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, England, September, 1775  

* Battle of Bunker Hill diagram - print
* John Hancock & George Washington

A nice issue with much historic content from the beginning months of the Revolutionary War.
Perhaps the best content is the very nice half page illustration of the "Redoubt & Intrenchment on the Heights of Charles Town, Commonly called Bunker Hill, Opposite Boston, attacked & Carried by his Majesty's Troops, June 17, 1775" with some text on the illustration as…

THE INDEPENDENT GAZETTEER; OR THE CHRONICLE OF FREEDOM, Philadelphia, May 26, 1787  

* Constitutional Convention begins
* George Washington elected president 

An exceedingly historic issue as this newspaper reports the formal beginning of the Constitutional Convention--terrific to have in a newspaper from the city where these notable proceedings were held.
As such, this is likely the first newspaper to report this event, which significantly includes the election of George Washington as its…

COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, Dec. 7, 1791 

* French Revolution
* Constitution of France

A very notable issue on the French Revolution as the front page begins with: "The French Constitution, Revised, Amended and Finally Decreed by the National Assembly".
It begins with the historic "Declaration Of The Rights of a Man and a Citizen" which includes all 17 Articles (there were several iterations but the essence of each Article remains).
This is followed a lengthy report beginning: "The National…