Historic Newspapers: Key items from our latest catalog.

NEWARK DAILY ADVERTISER, New Jersey, April 3, 1865  A very notable issue as page 2 has a late-breaking report received: "By Telegraph this Afternoon" of the fall of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.
The column heads note: "VICTORY ! " "Richmond Captured This Morning" "City Reported On Fire" 'Enthusiastic Reception of Our Troops" "Petersburg Evacuated by the Enemy" "Gen. Grant Moving for the Danville Road" "Large Capture of Guns, etc." with the reports taking over half a column.
Note that…

THE PENNSYLVANIA PACKET & DAILY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, May 4, 1789  Mot of page 3 is taken up with reports on the: "Proceedings of Congress" with datlines of April 28, then April 29, under the latter are reports on preparations for Washington's inauguration.
These reports include: "The committees of both houses of Congress, appointed to take order for conducting the ceremonial of the formal reception, etc. of the President of the United States, have agreed to the following order thereon,…

LOS ANGELES TIMES, Aug. 6 1962  The banner head announces: "MARILYN MONROE DIES; PILLS BLAMED" with a subhead: "Unclad Body of Star Found on Bed Near Empty Capsule Bottle". Near the bottom of the ftpg. is: "Sad Child, Unhappy Star - Help She Needed to Find Self Eluded Marilyn All Her Life". Also a front page photo of Marilyn Monroe. Pages 2 & 3 have 13 photos relating to her life & death plus more articles.
Given that her fame was gained in Los Angeles and she died in Los Angeles, this could…

DAILY EVENING TRAVELLER, Boston, April 3, 1865  A terrific issue as the front page features one of the best single-column stack of headlines we've seen for this event, noting both that Petersburg has been evacuated, and--more significantly--a same-day report on the capture of Richmond, the Confederate capital.
As can be seen in the photos the stack of heads includes two patriotic graphics, with type size that is much larger than normal and taking nearly a full column on this larger-size…

Large sheepskin document from England "This Indenture" in ornate lettering at the top with engravings within, dated near the top: "...in the year of or Lord one thousand seven hunbdred and forty-two..." followed by various details. There are five red wax seals next to signatures at the bottom.
This is an unusual two page document with a blue embossed tax stamp in the margin on each.
This document folds out to measure 22 by 29 inches. Several folds, very handsome handwriting, nice condition. A…

GAZETTE, Paris, France, Feb. 2, 1641  (date listed at the bottom of the back page).  This title was the very first regular newspaper published in France, started in 1631 by Théophraste Renaudot but with influential backing by the powerful Cardinal de Richelieu. All the text is in French with the first letter in the title containing embellishments. An ornate letter begins the first paragraph on the front page.
Four pages, 8 3/4 by 6 1/2 inches, in great condition. One of the earliest dated…

THE BATTERY, Washington, Aug. 17 1848  This was a campaign newspaper supporting Zachary Taylor for President and Millard Fillmore for Vice President.
In the era before radio, television, and the internet it was not uncommon for political parties to create short-lived newspapers to support their candidate and publicize their political platform. Such newspapers were short-lived; once the election was over so was the newspaper, however some titles existed for some months afterward.
This is the #7…

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, Philadelphia, Dec. 9, 1790  Page 3 has an article on the first meeting of Congress on December 6, 1790 at the temporary capital at Philadelphia since it's move from New York City. "...Monday last being the day appointed for the meeting of the National legislature, in this city, now the seat of government of the United States, thirty-one members of the House of Representatives assembled in the hall, in Chestnut Street, which number not being sufficient to…

NEW ORLEANS ITEM--2nd EXTRA, Aug. 14, 1945  Certainly one of the more dramatic issues on the end of World War II to be found, with the entire top half of the front page taken up with "P E A C E !" in huge, bold letters, measuring 8 1/2 inches tall. The subhead reads: "Japs Accept Allied Terms".
Eight pages, very nice condition, and certainly a terrific issue for display.

THE CRISIS, Columbus, Ohio, November 21, 1861  This was an anti-war newspaper that insisted that slavery should not be abolished, so much of its content has an anti-North bias.
Page 6 has an article (reprinted from I.M. Wise's 'The Israelite'), which has much related to "The Chaplaincy Controversy of 1861". This was a noteworthy event in Jewish American History as until this time, only Christian clergymen were permitted to serve as U.S. Chaplains.
In 1862, after a lobbying campaign, the law was…

THE PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL & THE WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, Oct. 27, 1781  A wonderfully historic issue and nicely presented, as the details of Cornwallis surrendering to Washington at Yorktown, essentially ending the Revolutionary War.
The entire middle column of the front page is Washington's historic letter, dated at "Head-Quarters, near York, 19th October. 1781" and beginning: "Sir, I have the honor to inform Congress, that a reduction of the British army, under the command of Lord…

THE WATCHMAN, Oswego, New York, February, 1850  Almost nothing is known about this title. It is not listed in Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers", nothing can be found on the internet, and the Am. Antiquarian Society has but this same issue, with no known information as to how long it might have lasted. There is no issue or volume numbering, however we suspect this was the first (and perhaps only) issue as the front page begins be defining their purpose: "Object Of This Sheet" "The…

NEW-YORK TIMES,  March 10, 1862  Front page heads beginning at the top of the first column describe the events of the most famous naval engagement of the Civil War, the battle of the Monitor vs. Merrimac.
They include: "Highly Important News" "Desperate Naval Engagement in Hampton Roads" "Attack Upon our Blockading Vessels by the Rebel Steamers Merrimac, Jamestown and Yorktown" "The Frigate Cumberland Run Into by the Merrimac and Sunk" 'Part of Her Crew Reported to be Drowned" "Surrender Of The…

PANHANDLE INTERSTATE, Lipscomb, Texas, Aug. 30, 1889  A very rare newspaper, as Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers" believes it existed from 1887 to 1893, however, only one American institution had any holdings. That was the Bancroft Library, which had just two issues, both deaccessioned, one of which is this one. No other institutional holdings are known to exist.
At the 2020 census, it had a population of just 66.
Four pages, very nice condition.

NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 20, 1862  Page 5 contains one of the more moving articles on the horrors of war, brought home to the residents of New York through an exhibition of "Pictures of the Dead at Antietam" in Matthew Brady's Manhattan Gallery.
The article is headed: "'Brady's Photographs" and a website chronicles the exhibition comparing the brutality & reality of war, to the callousness of New York's residents who read the daily papers but did not relate to the horrors they reported.
The article…