The Best of the Best
The Best of the Best
A union-occupation newspaper in South Carolina...
Item #701672
January 10, 1863
THE FREE SOUTH, Beaufort, South Carolina, Jan. 10, 1863
* Rare Union occupation publication
On November 7, 1861, the Union Navy seized control of Port Royal Harbor in South Carolina, securing a beachhead for a new kind of journalism--the occupation newspaper. Whereas many of the homegrown South Carolina newspapers defended secession and championed the military victories of the Confede... See More
Responding to General Clinton's offer for a reconciliation...
Item #697636
April 03, 1781
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, April 3, 1781
* General Henry Clinton
* Peace with Americans ?
* Revolutionary War
Pages 1 and 2 contain an excellent response to the controversial "Declaration" of General Clinton in which he offers a proposal for peace to the Americans. A few bits include: "The first thing which is offered is a pardon to ... See More
Patriotic masthead after a Revere engraving... Much on the Revolutionary War...
Item #701404
May 14, 1778
THE INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE & THE UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Boston, May 14, 1778
* Paul Revere masthead engraving (copied)
* Rare American Revolutionary War title
A nice issue for display, as the masthead features an engraving taken from one done by Paul Revere for colonial currency at the time. It is a very patriotic device showing a soldier with a sword in one hand and a scroll ... See More
John Hancock... Great masthead... British "seeks" a new commander...
Item #693170
January 21, 1782
THE INDEPENDENT LEDGER & THE AMERICAN ADVERTISER, Boston, Jan. 21, 1782
* One of the more patriotic mastheads from the Revolutionary War
Perhaps the best feature of this issue is the masthead engraving which features a very patriotic theme: "All Hands with One Inflamed Enlightened Heart." signifying the 13 united colonies having a common, patriotic purpose. One of the mo... See More
General Howe proclamations in a 1777 Tory newspaper... The latest war news...
Item #692829
November 26, 1777
THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, Nov. 26, 1777
* Revolutionary War Tory original
* Rare Pro British issue from America
* General William Howe proclamations
This was a strongly Tory newspaper published in Philadelphia when the British were in occupation. It began in 1775 and ended when the British evacuated the city in May of 1778. Not surprisingly, the ... See More
Fall of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy...
Item #689661
April 04, 1865
NEW YORK HERALD, April 4, 1865
* Fall of Richmond VA Virginia
* Civil War nearing the end
First column heads on the front page about the fall of Richmond: "GRANT" "Richmond Ours" "Weitzel Entered the Rebel Capital Yesterday Morning" "Many Guns Captured" "Our Troops Received with Enthusiasm" "The City On Fire" "Pe
... See More
* Fall of Richmond VA Virginia
* Civil War nearing the end
First column heads on the front page about the fall of Richmond: "GRANT" "Richmond Ours" "Weitzel Entered the Rebel Capital Yesterday Morning" "Many Guns Captured" "Our Troops Received with Enthusiasm" "The City On Fire" "Pe
Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown...
Item #697208
THE LONDON MAGAZINE, London, December and the Appendix issue for the year 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 "American Affairs". It is an "Extract... See More
Ulysses S. Grant clarifies his infamous "Jew Order"....
Item #698331
November 30, 1868
NEW YORK TIMES, Nov. 30, 1868
* General Ulysses S. Grant
* General Order No. 11 - Jews
Page 2 has a very significant Judaica item headed: "Gen. Grant's Jew Order" "Why It Was Issued--A Statement of the Circumstances of the Case."
This relates to Ulysses S. Grant's General Order #11 from during the Civil War, known as the infamous "Jew O
... See More
* General Ulysses S. Grant
* General Order No. 11 - Jews
Page 2 has a very significant Judaica item headed: "Gen. Grant's Jew Order" "Why It Was Issued--A Statement of the Circumstances of the Case."
This relates to Ulysses S. Grant's General Order #11 from during the Civil War, known as the infamous "Jew O
First use of the popular term "Ivy League"...
Item #698511
February 07, 1935
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, Boston, Feb. 7, 1935
* Very 1st use of the term "Ivy League"
* Collegiate athletic conference
* Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton, etc.
* One of a kind item here ?
Page 6 contains a rather mundane, one-column article headed: "Brown Seems to Have Been Taken Into 'Ivy League' " but it is significant for being the very first use of the... See More
The Jay Treaty: preventing another war...
Item #697906
July 13, 1795
INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE & UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Boston, July 9 and 13, 1795
* John - Jay's Treaty
* George Washington
A very significant pair of issues as they contain, in its entirety, the full text of the Jay Treaty, one of the more significant 18th century documents in American history.
Taking all of the front page and a bit of page 2 in the July 9,
concluding in the issue... See More
An opportunity for a newspaper that never existed...
Item #695785
October 01, 1943
THE EDITOR'S DREAM, 'September 31"
* Fake publication w/ a futuristic headline
As the title of the newspaper implies, this is not a legitimate newspaper but rather a "dream" headline any publisher would love to print.
In large type is: “NAZIS QUIT ! ” “Hitler Seized in Mountain Hideout: Nazi Chiefs Nabbed“ with a photo showing Hitler behind bar... See More
Rare political cartoon on America... Continental Association...
Item #702484
THE TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE, London, Dec., 1774* Rare pre Revolutionary War political cartoon on America
A focus of this issue is a full page political cartoon concerning America, such items rarely found in periodicals of the say.
The heading of the cartoon is: "American In Flames" and the facing page has descriptive text on it. It reads in part: "...it will... See More
Official report that the Louisiana Purchase treaty has been concluded...
Item #684523
July 25, 1803
BOSTON GAZETTE, July 25, 1803
* The Louisiana Purchase Treaty
Page 2 has: "By the President of the United States...A PROCLAMATION" calling for a special session of Congress, signed in type: Th. Jefferson.
This is followed by a very historic report headed: "Louisiana - Official" which mentions in part: "Dispatches from the American ministers at Paris...contain ... See More
Lincoln's first inaugural address... "We are not enemies, but friends"...
Item #688044
March 08, 1861
KENNEBEC JOURNAL, Augusta, Maine, March 8, 1861
* President Abraham Lincoln
* Inauguration - inaugural address
* "We are not enemies, but friends"
Page 3 begins with the: "Inaugural Address" which is signed in type at its conclusion: Abraham Lincoln. It takes nearly 2 columns.
Page 2 has a lengthy editorial on: "Lincoln's Inaugural". It includes in ... See More
Robert Smalls leads fellow slaves to freedom... The USS Planter...
President Lincoln repeals General Hunter's order (no. 11), which had emancipated slaves...
Item #712734
May 24, 1862
NEW YORK WEEKLY TRIBUNE, May 24, 1862
* General David Hunter order
* Emancipation of slaves
* Abraham Lincoln rebuffs
* Robert Smalls - born in slavery
* Leads fellow slaves to freedom
Page 2 begins with: "Gen. Hunter Overruled". This concerns the controversial situation where Hunter pronounced slaves free in Florida, Georgia & South Carolina, previous to Lincol... See More
Killing of Booth & the Lincoln funeral...
Item #688987
May 13, 1865
FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, May 13, 1865
* Killing of John Wilkes Booth
* President Abraham Lincoln funeral
* Prints - illustrations - wood engravings
The front page shows: "Sergeant Boston Corbett, the Man who shot Booth" as well as a dramatic print of: "The Killing of Booth, the Assassin--The Dying Murderer drawn from the Barn where he had Taken Refuge.... See More
Burgoyne surrenders Saratoga to Horatio Gates...
Item #703554
December 11, 1777
THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Dec. 11, 1777
* Surrender of General John Burgoyne
* Battles of Saratoga - New York
* American Revolutionary War
A page 2 report begins: "The account of the capitulation of General Burgoyne's army was brought to Quebec by some deserters from the Provincials who had entered into the King's service, & whom Gen. Burgoyne, when he found he ... See More
Criticizing Burgoyne for his failure in America...
Item #705295
October 02, 1779
THE PROVIDENCE GAZETTE & COUNTRY JOURNAL, Rhode Island, Oct. 2, 1779
* American Revolutionary War
* Gen. John Burgoyne failures
* re. Battles of Saratoga surrender
Almost the entire front page is taken up with a letter: "To Lieutenant-General Burgoyne" taken from a London newspaper and reprinted here.
Not surprisingly, the theme is critical of Burgoyne, who is be... See More
Exceedingly rare Napoleon occupation newspaper...
Item #705267
May 01, 1811
COURRIER D'AMSTERDAM or the COURIER VAN AMSTERDAM, May 1, 1811 (No. 122)
* Exceedingly rare Napoleon Bonaparte occupation newspaper
This was a daily newspaper published in Amsterdam during the French occupation of Holland. It is bilingual: half printed in French and half in Dutch. Two mastheads as well, one in each language.
In 1810 Napoleon Bonaparte annexed Holland to his empire... See More
British officers revolt in New Jersey... News from Pensacola...
Item #703661
August 03, 1767
THE PENNSYLVANIA CHRONICLE, Philadelphia, Aug. 3, 1767 A fine, colonial newspaper offering a flavor of life in America during the tumultuous period shortly after the Stamp Act, during the hated Quartering Act & Townshend Acts era, and before tensions would boil over with the Boston Massacre of 1770, the Tea party in 1773 and the resulting Revolutionary War.
The front page has nearly a f... See More
The coronation of King George III...
Item #689557
September 29, 1761
THE LONDON CHRONICLE: or, UNIVERSAL EVENING POST, London, Sept. 29, 1761
* George III of the United Kingdom
The front page begins the report on the coronation of King George III. "This day his Majesty King George the Third, and Queen Charlotte, were crowned in the abbey church of Westminster, with the ceremonies accustomed upon that great and glorious solemnity...". The artic... See More
On the "Causes & Necessity for Taking Up Arms"...
Item #700625
August 21, 1775
ARIS'S BIRMINGHAM GAZETTE, England, Aug. 21, 1775
* Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
* Thomas Jefferson - John Dickinson - John Hancock
* The American Revolutionary War beginning
The very top of the front page has an extremely historic letter which summarizes the text of the document issued by the American Congress on July 6, 1775, which we now know as the &qu... See More
On the 1929 stock market crash: in the Wall Street Journal...
Item #699328
October 26, 1929
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, October 26, 1929
* Stock market crash of 1929
* During the heart of the crash
* Best publication to be had (rare)
The stock market crash of 1929 did much to define America for the next decade, resulting in the Great Depression and all the trauma relating to it. It seemed common for many newspapers to put a positive spin on the on-going tragedy, so front... See More
One of the earliest 17th century newspapers you will find...
Item #689694
September 10, 1639
GAZETTE, Paris, France, Sept. 10, 1639 (date is in the imprint at the bottom of the back page).
* Earliest of newspapers to be had
This extremely early newspaper is filled with news reports with datelines from throughout Europe, including Rome, Frankfort, Cologne & elsewhere. There are no advertisements.
This was the very first regular newspaper published in France, started in 163... See More
The Siege of Ninety-Six and more military events in South Carolina...
Item #696741
August 28, 1781
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, August 28, 1781
* Siege of Nintey Six - South Carolina
* General Nathanael Greene defeat
* American Revolutionary War
Half of page 2 is taken up with a letter from Major General Greene in which he officers much on the Siege of Ninety-Six.
Additional reports carry over to page 3 with much more detail on the military event... See More
Lewis and Clark return from their historic journey...
Item #702423
November 05, 1806
CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, Nov. 5, 1806 Page 2 begins with a notable report on the arrival of Lewis and Clark in St. Louis, after their 2-1/2 year expedition.
It begins: "It is, with the sincerest pleasure, that we announce to our fellow citizens, the arrival of CAPTAIN LEWIS, with his exploring party, at St. Lewis [sic]. The President has received a letter from him dated at ... See More
Deaths of Joseph Haydn and Thomas Paine...
Item #684914
GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, July, 1809* Deaths of Joseph Haydn and Thomas Paine
The obituary listing inside includes: "At New York, the notorious Thomas Pain [sic]; whose death is an admonitory event; may the lesson that it inculcates be impressive..." & more. The opposing page has: "In Guppendorff, aged 76, Joseph Haydn, the celebrated composer... ju... See More
On the Lewis & Clark Expedition, reported on the front page...
Item #702570
March 05, 1806
COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, March 5, 1806
* Thomas Jefferson message to U.S. Congress
* First published information on Lewis and Clark
The front page has a nice "Message" to the Congress signed in type by the President: Th. Jefferson, with much concerning the Lewis & Clark Expedition, including: "...Capt. Meriwether Lewis...was appointed, with a party of men, to ex... See More
Review & Ad of "The Black Crook" - the first full-fledged Broadway musical...
Item #711393
September 13, 1866
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Sept. 13, 1866
* "The Black Crook" opening premiere w/ review
* First musical theatre performance of the first modern-day musical!
* Niblo's Garden - Broadway - New York City
Page 4 has a review of the first performance of "The Black Crook" from the previous evening, which is quite lengthy & complimentary. Near the end it notes: "..... See More
President Lincoln repeals General Hunter's order (no. 11), which had emancipated slaves... Two mentions of Robert Smalls...
Item #712691
May 20, 1862
THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 20, 1862
* General David Hunter's Emancipation order
* Abraham Lincoln rebuffs (nullifies)
* Robert Smalls & companions to be compensated
Page one has, "Gen. Hunter's Order Repudiated by the President," followed by, "He Pronounces it Void and of No Effect," and, "The Policy of the Administration Reiterated." The pronou... See More
Detailing how supportive England has been to the colonies...
Item #698043
January 28, 1778
THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, Jan. 28, 1778
* Revolutionary War Tory original
* Rare Pro British issue from America
This was a Tory newspaper published in Philadelphia when the British occupied the city. It began in 1775 and ended when the British evacuated the city in May of 1778. Not surprisingly, the masthead features an engraving of the Royal coa... See More
A wealth of content concerning the Louisiana Territory... Lewis & Clark begin their journey...
Item #701336
November 23, 1803
NEW YORK HERALD, Nov. 23, 1803
* Lewis and Clark Expedition begins
* Louisville, Kentucky - Ohio River
* re. Louisiana Purchase success
This is a wonderful issue on the recently concluded Louisiana Purchase.
Almost the entire front page is taken up with very detailed reporting on the Louisiana Purchase, with the first article: "Louisiana" taking over 2 columns. This is followed... See More
President Jefferson reports on the Lewis & Clark Expedition...
Item #702422
March 05, 1806
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, March 5, 1806
* President Thomas Jefferson
* Lewis and Clark expedition
Page 2 begins with a message from the President to the House signed in type: Th. Jefferson, with much concerning the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
A few portions include: "...Capt. Meriwether Lewis...was appointed, with a party of men, to explore the river Missouri from its... See More
Wild Bill Hickok...
Item #704224
HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE, (New York), February, 1867 * Wild Bill Hickok
* Folklore hero of Old West
* Gunfighter & scout
Featured on the front page is a great full-figure print of "Wild Bill" Hickok, one of the most notable names from the Old West who was very much a legend in his own time.
Such a print of him is rarely found in newspapers or magazines, and in... See More
Fantastic headline... Japanese surrender...
Item #711276
August 14, 1945
SUN-GAZETTE SPECIAL, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, August 14, 1945
* World War II ends
* Japanese surrenders
* Terrific headline
We have handled many dramatic V-J Day newspapers through the years but few have been as dramatic and displayable as this one.
This "Special Edition", as noted in the upper corners, has a bold, two line head taking the entire top half of the front ... See More
Abraham Lincoln's last public speech & last proclamation...
Item #688028
April 12, 1865
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, April 12, 1865
* Civil War is over speech
* Abraham Lincoln's last public speech
* Presidential proclamation 128
* Just 2 days before his assassination
The front page has one column heads including: "RECONSTRUCTION" "Important Speech by the President" "His Views On Peace & Reconstruction" with the text of his speech beginning:... See More
Rare Hawaii newspaper from 1859...
Item #698615
February 05, 1859
THE POLYNESIAN, Honolulu, (Hawaii), Feb. 5, 1859
* Very rare 19th century Hawaiian publication
A quite rare newspaper from such an early date, in fact outside of "The Friend" which was more of a missionary newspaper, this is the second oldest Hawaii newspaper we have offered.
It is formatted much like other newspapers of the day with the front page containing both ads & ... See More
One of the earliest 17th century newspapers you will find...
Item #675381
February 23, 1641
GAZETTE, Paris, France, February 23, 1641 (date is in the imprint at the bottom of the back page).
* Earliest of newspapers to be had
This extremely early newspaper is filled with news reports with datelines from throughout Europe, including Naples, Rome, Nuremberg, Frankfort, Amsterdam, Cologne, with the back two pages containing reports from France. There are no advertisements.
This... See More
Sherman's Christmas present to President Lincoln and the nation...
Item #688778
December 26, 1864
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Dec. 26, 1864 An historic issue reporting the fall of Savannah to the Union forces, with one of the more notable quotes part of the headlines, with ftpg: "CAPTURE OF SAVANNAH" "Hardee's Army Make Their Escape" "150 Guns, 13 Locomotives, 190 Cars & 33,000 Bales of Cotton Taken" "and more.
The most historic part of the report is Sherman&#... See More
Two full page Winslow Homer prints...
Item #688997
December 23, 1865
FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, Dec. 23, 1865
* Rare Winslow Homer prints
There are many prints within but certainly the two most significant are the full page prints by Winslow Homer, captioned: "Thanksgiving Day--Hanging Up the Musket" and the other: "Thanksgiving Day--The Church Porch". A small stain in the caption of each, otherwise very nice.
Other p... See More
Historic meeting between Lincoln and the delegation of free blacks... His thoughts on Blacks & Whites co-existing...
Item #704770
August 15, 1862
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, Aug. 15, 1862
* Address on Colonization to a Committee of Colored Men
* Meeting with Abraham Lincoln at the White House
* Free African Americans from slavery - emigration ?
The most notable item is on the front page: "The Colonization of People of African Descent" with subheads: "Interview with President Lincoln" "Speech of t... See More
Reaction to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown...
Item #698644
March 26, 1782
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, March 26, 1782
* Reaction to Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown
* American Revolutionary War ending
Page 2 has some nice reporting on the military events further to the west, from a letter from Kentucky dated Dec. 6. It reports on the work of General Clarke near Fort Pitt, Colonel Loughrie, and some events near Detroit. ... See More
Timely report of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
Item #705254
December 01, 1791
THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, December, 1791 Presented inconspicuously among other death reports is a brief yet very notable report on the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ending with a prophetic comment: "At Vienna, Wolfgang Mozart, the celebrated German composer. By his death the musical world will sustain an irreparable loss."
He died on December 5, m... See More
Death of John Paul Jones & a letter by Thomas Paine...
Item #703598
September 26, 1792
COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, Sept. 26, 1792
* John Paul Jones death - pirate ?
* Revolutionary War naval commander
* "Father of the American Navy
Most of the front page is taken up with "Mr. Paine's Letters to Lord Onslow" which has two of them, each signed in type: Thomas Paine.
The balance of the front page is taken up with an article headed: "John Pau... See More
A 1776 skirmish in South Carolina...
Item #704264
October 03, 1776
THE PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST, Philadelphia, Oct. 3, 1776
* Great year to collect (1776)
* American revolutionary War
* Cherokee village of Tamassee
* Major Andrew Williamson
Any newspaper dated 1776 is quite desirable, but even more so issues printed in Philadelphia.
Page 2 has a report which includes: "There is not a maritime nation in Europe but which privately c... See More
Rare North Carolina newspaper printed on "necessity paper"...
Item #701894
June 22, 1864
NORTH CAROLINA TIMES, New Berne, June 22, 1864 This is a Union occupation newspaper, as New Bern fell to the Yankee forces under General Burnside on March 14, 1862. This is the volume 1, number 44 issue. Our records indicate this is the first of this title we have offered from during the war.
The most intriguing aspect of this issue is not the content, but the paper upon which it is printed... See More
Newspaper appearance of a Walt Whitman poem...
Item #652163
March 22, 1850
SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, June 22, 1850
* Walt Whitman - American poet
* 2nd Appearance of "Resurgemus"
A very notable issue for any literary collector as the front page contains at the head of the first column the second newspaper appearance of Walt Whitman's poem "Resurgemus" signed by him in type at its conclusion: Walter Whitman. The very first appearance was on... See More
Unrecorded issue from Colorado...
Item #690238
August 21, 1880
THE SOUTHWEST, Animas City, Colorado, Aug. 21, 1880
* Very rare old West publication
* La Plata County - Durango
A quite rare title that printed in this town before moving to their new location of Durango in September. Gregory's 'Union List of American Newspapers' does not even have a listing for this title in Animas City. This is the volume 1, number 44 issue.
Various ar... See More
From rough & tumble Deadwood, Dakota Territory...
Item #683040
July 24, 1889
DEADWOOD DAILY PIONEER, Black Hills, (South Dakota) July 24, 1889
* Rare publication
* Famous wild West town
* "Wild Bill" Hickok fame
This city would arguably be--along with Tombstone & Dodge City--one of the more famous of all the towns from the rough & tumble days of the Old West, and only rarely do such issues come to light. It attracted larger-than-life Old Wes... See More
Pair of issues: criticizing astrology, with an astrologer's response...
Item #684757
October 01, 1869
BROUGHTON'S MONTHLY PLANET READER AND ASTROLOGICAL JOURNAL, Philadelphia, Oct., Nov., Dec., 1869
Also: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, May 29, 1869
The former was a fascinating and very unusual newspaper of small-size themed on predicting what would happen in the future--great to read in hindsight.
The feature article, which takes all of pages 1 thru 5, is headed: "A Reply... See More
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Williamsport, PA 17701
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E-mail: info@rarenewspapers.com
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Weekdays, 7:30 - 4 (ET)
Full Contact Information
