The Best of the Best
The Best of the Best
Wishful thinking on the fate of Cornwallis at Yorktown...
Item #704706
January 29, 1782
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, Jan. 29, 1782
* Lord Charles Cornwallis
* Surrender at Yorktown
* Revolutionary War
The front page is mostly taken up with: "An Ordinance Ascertaining What Captures on Water Shall be Lawful". This lengthy text carries over to take close to half of page 2 & is signed in type by: John Hanson, President of Congr... See More
A different title from Tombstone, Arizona...
Item #687226
June 04, 1889
TOMBSTONE PROSPECTOR, Arizona, June 4, 1889
* Very rare wild West publication
* Gunfight at the O.K. Corral fame
We have had a few other newspapers from the iconic Old West town of Tombstone, but this is perhaps the most uncommon. The masthead features a great engraving of a miner on a mule.
The content is much as would be expected from a mining town, including many legal notices co... See More
James Dean... one of the best to be had on the iconic teen actor...
Item #692762
September 29, 1955
MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Sept. 29, 1955
* James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause" advertisement
* Perhaps the best to be had on the iconic teen actor
* One month prior to it's premiere debut in America
James Dean remains a cultural icon of the troubled & struggling teen from the 1950's, and his aura only increased when he died young in a car crash on September 30,... See More
General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch... The Confederate version of "Harper's Weekly"...
Item #698063
June 07, 1863
SOUTHERN ILLUSTRATED NEWS, Richmond, June 7, 1863
* General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
* Very rare Confederate publication
A very rare publication from the Confederacy which seldom comes to the collector market. Although much of the content was literary in nature, there are news reports and a few illustrations.
The front page is entirely taken up with a nice illustration of: "G... See More
Ulysses S. Grant clarifies his infamous "Jew Order"....
Item #698506
November 30, 1868
NEW YORK HERALD, Nov. 30, 1868
* General Ulysses S. Grant
* General Order No. 11 - Jews
Page 5 has a very significant Judaica item headed: "Letter From General Grant on the Hebrew Question."
This relates to Ulysses S. Grant's General Order #11 from during the Civil War, known as the infamous "Jew Order". A website has further details on Grant
... See More
* General Ulysses S. Grant
* General Order No. 11 - Jews
Page 5 has a very significant Judaica item headed: "Letter From General Grant on the Hebrew Question."
This relates to Ulysses S. Grant's General Order #11 from during the Civil War, known as the infamous "Jew Order". A website has further details on Grant
Rare and very early from the "Alaska Territory"...
Item #698596
June 04, 1887
THE ALASKAN, Sitka, Alaska Territory, June 4, 1887
* Very rare Alaska Territorial issue
Rarely are newspapers from Alaska found from before the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 when interest grew dramatically. This newspaper pre-dates the gold rush by ten years.
The format of the newspaper is much like other newspapers of the day, being four pages of small folio size (measures 13 by 20 in.)... See More
Map of the Hudson River region... Franklin on the exchange of prisoners...
Item #701099
GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, January, 1778 * Rare Revolutionary War New York map
* Benjamin Franklin letter - Ethan Allen
Of great significance is the very nice foldout map headed: "Map of Hudson's River with the Adjacent Country", which shows from Crown Point & Ticonderoga, south to Philadelphia, & also from Long Island to Lake Ontario with consi... See More
Boston almanac for 1780...
Item #701104
January 01, 1780
* 18th century American almanac
* Revolutionary War era
A Pocket Almanac for the Year ofd our Lord 1780...fourth of American Independence, Calculated for trhe Use of the State of Massachusetts Bay in New-England, Boston, printed by T. & J. Fleet.
A wonderful almanac for during the Revolutionary War, complete in apprise. 40 pages. Each month has a blank leaf upon which notes were penned b... See More
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
Georgia colonial currency for the '...support of Continental troops...'
Item #704901
June 08, 1777
Georgia colonial currency date of June 8th, 1777 in the amount of 3 shillings 4 pence. It reads: "Georgia. 1777 This Certificate, for the support of the Continental Troops & other Expences of Government, entities the bearer to Two Thirds Of A Dollar, in Continental Currency..." with 2 signatures. Measures 3 1/2 by 2 3/4 inches, minnow loss to the lower left affects the border o... 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 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 with 'Independence' in the other, with the words "Appeal To Heaven" above him... 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
Diagram of the fort at Bunker's Hill...
Item #687399
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... 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
Great map showing North America... On taxing America without their consent...
Item #682287
THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, April, 1776 The prime feature of this issue is the great map showing all of the western hemisphere titled: "A New Projection of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth on a Plane shewing the proportions of its several parts nearly as on a Globe, By J. Hardy, at Eton College." The map is dated at the bottom: "by F. Newbery, Ludgat
... 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
Exceedingly rare Napoleon occupation newspaper...
Item #681467
September 27, 1811
COURRIER D'AMSTERDAM or the COURIER VAN AMSTERDAM, September 27, 1811
* 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, h... 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
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
Quite rare & early account of a baseball game with women players...
Item #683490
August 16, 1868
NEW YORK HERALD, Aug. 16, 1868
* Rare & Early Women's baseball
* Bloomer Girls - baseball pioneers
* Elizabeth Cady Stanton reporting
Page 3 under the heading: "The National Game" has a few accounts of "Base Ball Notes" one of which is the earliest newspaper report we have seen of a baseball game with women players.
The report notes: "Mrs. Cady Stant... 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
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
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
Capture of New Orleans, in a Confederate newspaper...
Item #684457
April 28, 1862
DAILY RICHMOND EXAMINER, Virginia, April 28, 1862
* Capture of New Orleans - Louisiana
* Union troops (enemy) enter city
* From the capital of the Confederacy
Not only is this a great Confederate newspaper, but it is from the capital of the Confederacy.
Certainly the most significant content would be the breaking news report on page 2 headed: "Capture of New Orleans By The Ene... See More
Lincoln's second inaugural address: 'With malice towards none...'
Item #683525
March 07, 1865
SACRAMENTO DAILY UNION, California, March 7, 1865
* Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration (historic)
* "With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All"
* End of Civil War & assassination nears
Page 2 has a very historic report headed: "Inauguration Day at Washington" which is primarily taken up with the: "Inaugural Address of President Lincoln". I... See More
First election of Abraham Lincoln...
Item #683569
November 09, 1860
DAILY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., Nov. 9, 1860
* Abraham Lincoln is elected President
* From our nation's capital
Perhaps the best newspaper to have with news on any Presidential election, being from the nation's capital.
Page 2 has a report headed: "The Presidential Contest" which begins: "Abraham Lincoln is the next President of the United Stat... 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
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