Historic Newspapers: The Best of the Best

EVENING TRIBUNE, San Diego, California, May 1, 1917  A terrific and very displayable issue on the founding era of the United States Navy's relationship with San Diego, one which has grown tremendously ever since 1917 to become the home port of the Pacific Fleet, a base composed of 13 piers, with over 24,000... Read full description  

NEW YORK TRIBUNE, July 6, 1857  

* Abraham Lincoln speech
* Springfield, Illinois
* Lincoln-Douglas debates prelude

Page 3 has nearly 2 columns taken up with a seminal report on Lincoln's political career. Lincoln had been in the audience when Stephen Douglas made his June 12 speech... Read full description  

GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, Houston, Texas, Sept. 23, 1864

* Very rare issue from the Southwest Confederacy

 Although the title notes "Galveston" the dateline notes it was printed in nearby Houston, as it is likely moving a bit more inland offered greater security from the Yankee forces.
Confederate newspapers from Texas are very... Read full description  

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, January, 1782  

* Lord Charles Cornwallis
* General George Washington
* Surrender at Yorktown - Virginia

This issue contains the very historic report of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. 
An inside page has a nice report headed: "Extract of a Letter... Read full description  

GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, England, May, 1789

* George Washington elected 1st president of U.S.
* From the enemy just after the Revolutionary War

  Certainly the most significant---and very historic--report in this issue is the account under the heading "America" of... Read full description  

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., Oct. 2, 1807 

* Lewis and Clark expedition

Page 3 has a very lengthy: "Proposals...For Publishing LEWIS and CLARK'S Tour to the Pacific Ocean, through the Interior of the Continent of North America..." noting the details that will be in "Volume First" as... Read full description  

INDEPENDENT LEDGER, AND AMERICAN ADVERTISER, Boston, Oct. 28, 1782  

* "The Swamp Fox" Francis Marion
* American Revolutionary War 
* Great masthead engraving for display

One of the best features of this issue is the masthead engraving, which features a very patriotic theme: "All Hands with One Inflamed... Read full description  

OFFICIAL (Baseball) RECORD, New York, July 22, 1886  This is a volume two issue of a very rare & historically important baseball newspaper, the very first daily sports newspaper dedicated entirely to the national game of professional baseball. 
Although the masthead reads: "Official Record" the title... Read full description  

THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET-DAY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, January 3, 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... Read full description  

THE TIMES, London, Aug. 25, 1851 

* 1st America's Cup
* Yacht "America" wins

Nearly half of page 5 is taken up with very detailed accounts of: "The Cowes Regatta" in England, which would become known as the famed America's Cup race.
This was the very first of this iconic... Read full description  

THE PENNSYLVANIA CHRONICLE & UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, May 15, 1769 

* The Boston Non-Importation Agreement
* Boycott of British goods b merchants & traders
* Rare Colonial Pennsylvania publication

The entire front page is taken up with: "The Speech of Th-m-s P--wn--ll, Esq. in the House of "Commons,... Read full description  

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, December, 1791

* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart death (1st report)
* Musical composer - Classical music era original

 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:  "... Read full description  

COURRIER D'AMSTERDAM or the COURIER VAN AMSTERDAM, December 3, 1810  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, hence... Read full description  

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... Read full description  

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... Read full description  

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,... Read full description  

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... Read full description  

THE JOURNALISTS' CLUB BAZOO, Baltimore, March 11, 1899  

* Very rare one-off publication

An interesting and quite rare comic newspaper (bazoo is slang for mouth), noted sa "Vol. 12,999" and issue: "No. 000".
The drama it, full column headlines relate to a report--in very small type at the bottom: "...a newspaper... Read full description  

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... Read full description  

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:... Read full description  

EDINBURGH EVENING COURANT, Scotland, Dec. 8, 1777

* Battles of Saratoga - Revolutionary War
* General John Burgoyne surrenders

Certainly the most  significant content is the page 2 report on the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, a very much-needed victory for the American cause. Some of the reporting includes: "...arrived in town... Read full description