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See the displayable front page from the 18th century...
See the displayable front page from the 18th century...
Item # 722518
November 08, 1718
THE POST-BOY, London, Nov. 8, 1718
* Nice masthead engravings
One of my favorite 18th century newspapers with the two nice engravings in the masthead, plus the very decorative first letter in the text (see). Various European reports.
Single sheet, 8 1/2 by 14 1/8 inches, in very nice, displayable condition.
AI notes: The Post-Boy was a prominent London newspaper founded in 1695, emerging immediately after the lapse of the Licensing Act and continuing into the 1720s, and it is especially notable for its engraved masthead, a hallmark of early English journalism. The masthead typically featured a post-boy on horseback blowing a horn, sometimes accompanied by additional heraldic or allegorical figures, visually asserting the paper’s connection to the postal system and the rapid transmission of news at a time when information literally traveled by courier. Printed in a single-sheet format and issued several times a week, The Post-Boy carried domestic and foreign political news, court reports, commercial information, and advertisements, appealing to London’s growing literate public. Its woodcut engravings were not merely decorative but functioned as a brand identifier in an era of limited typography, helping readers quickly recognize the paper at stalls and coffeehouses. Along with titles such as The Flying Post, The Post-Boy exemplifies how early newspapers used masthead imagery to symbolize speed, reliability, and authority in news delivery, making it an important artifact in the visual and cultural history of the British press.
Category: British
Available Now
$38.00
