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See the decorative masthead in ethis 1769 newspaper...
See the decorative masthead in ethis 1769 newspaper...
Item # 719240
March 30, 1769
MERCURIUS [MERCURY], Hamburg, Germany, March 30, 1769
* Pre Revolutionary War era
* Nice masthead engraving
* Miniature publication
This is a wonderful little newspaper with over one third of the front page of this German language newspaper is taken up with a very ornate & decorative masthead. The month & date are in the dateline and the year: "1769" is in the masthead surrounded by decorative embellishments, as is the issue number.
Eight pages, 3 3/4 by 6 3/4 inches, minor light foxing, nice condition.
background: The Mercurius newspapers of Hamburg and its surrounding areas were among the most influential early German-language periodicals, reflecting the evolving nature of journalism from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The Nordischer Mercurius, launched in Hamburg in 1664 by Georg Greflinger, was one of the first newspapers in the region to blend political news with literary elements, such as verse and commentary, catering to an educated readership. Its success laid the groundwork for subsequent titles like the Altonaischer Mercurius, founded in nearby Altona in 1688, which became a major semi-official paper widely read across the German states and Denmark until its closure in 1875. Meanwhile, the Wandsbecker Mercurius (1745–1770) marked a shift toward popular journalism, using satire and sensationalism to engage a broader public—so effectively, in fact, that it was eventually banned by the Hamburg Senate for its provocative content. Together, these papers not only chronicled political and social developments but also helped shape the role of the press in German public life.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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$34.00
