The American Antiquarian Society has a large number of periodicals and newspapers of which only a single issue was printed before they folded. There are a variety of reasons for why this might be. Sometimes issue no. 1 is really a prospectus trying to generate interest and subscribers, but failing in this mission. Often it [...]
In show business timing is everything. It is the same at the American Antiquarian Society. Sometimes you acquire a piece when a researcher is here and it is just what he or she needs. Other times you acquire an item and you think it would have been perfect for that person that was here the [...]
Aspinwall Courier. Aspinwall, Panama. In the 1850s, Aspinwall (today known as Cólon) was founded as one of the end points of the Panama Railroad, which spanned the isthmus for and provided part of the route to and from the California gold rush regions. This paper was edited by Frederic E. Foster and printed in English [...]
On Friday, April 5th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the American Antiquarian Society will be hosting our 6th Annual Adopt-A-Book event. This event is an important fundraiser for the curatorial team at the Society, and monies raised will go towards future acquisitions of books, prints, newspapers, manuscripts, and children’s literature. Below are examples of two [...]
The National Pathfinder (Nashville, Tennessee). Mar. 5, 1860. This appears to be mainly an advertising paper with small bits of news and poetry. Even some of the news items are really puff pieces for local businesses. According to a Nashville directory from 1860 it was published in the office of the Nashville Patriot which had [...]
The Clay Tribune (New York). May 4 – Nov. 2, 1844. 23 issues. This file combined with the issues already owned by AAS gives us one of three known complete files of this campaign newspaper. It was published by Horace Greeley as a separate political issue of the daily and weekly Tribune. Greeley greatly admired [...]
Plea for the Oppressed and Enslaved (Austinburg, OH). Feb. 3, 1847. Vol. 1, no. 3. This title was mentioned in a county history in 1878, but no copy could be located in any library or historical society. The content was mostly written by Betsey Mix Cowles and Abby Kelley Foster and was published by Jane [...]
The Iris, or Orleans Evening Post (New Orleans, LA). June 27, 1823. Vol. 1, no. 57. This is an unrecorded daily New Orleans newspaper that appeared on eBay. It was started by the New Orleans Typographical Association in May 1823. According to an article in the Salem Gazette (MA) of June 3, 1823, this paper [...]
Each year, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) honors a person or an organization with the Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the industry. This year’s award honors AAS, in honor of the 200th anniversary of our founding by none other than Isaiah Thomas himself. The award ceremony will [...]
Southern Rights (Jacksonville, FL). Oct. 4, 1862. When Brigadier General J.M. Brannan took over Jacksonville, FL, his troops found standing type in the newspaper office and pied it. Later some of them took a proof sheet of the Oct. 4, 1862 copy and added an extra paragraph at the end and printed up some copies [...]
The Other Side (Bloomington, IL). Apr. 14, 1868. Vol. 1, no. 4. This is a campaign newspaper printed in broadside format. It was a Republican paper edited by C.F. Merriman, a long-time newspaper editor of this town. Though stating it was to be published daily, output was irregular, and it claimed a circulation of 2,000. [...]
AAS’s fifth annual Adopt-A-Book event is only days away. We hope to see you in the library in person on Tuesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. In the meantime, you can browse the 2012 Adopt-A-Book Catalog to view the 150 items up for adoption, but remember 50 new items will be available that night. Here [...]
Don’t let the name fool you — Adopt-a-Book is for newsies too. AAS’s fifth annual Adopt-A-Book event is coming up this Tuesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. Browse the 2012 Adopt-A-Book Catalog to view the 150 items up for adoption. Here are a few highlights of New York newspapers still available for adoption. 141. ALL [...]
Our Song Birds (Chicago, IL). July 1866. George Root was noted as a composer and as one of the largest music publishers in Chicago during the 1860s. This cute little 64-page booklet was written by Root and B.R. Hanby, and published by Root & Cady. It comprises one issue of a juvenile musical quarterly, Our [...]
Calathumpian Advocate (Concord, NH). June 19, 1850. This interesting political periodical could be described as rabble rousing. The term “calathumpian” is probably a colloquial Americanism relating to a society of social reformers, especially those that disrupt political events. This particular issue includes a report of the Calathumpian Fusiliers disrupting an election in Concord, ending with [...]
Who knew the skill set for a successful curator of newspapers included dumpster diving abilities? While this may not always be literally true, figuratively speaking at least AAS’s curator of newspapers has rescued some of the collection’s treasures from pretty precarious situations. Vincent Golden recently gave a talk on his “Chasing the Dumpster” activities, which [...]
The Californian (San Francisco, CA). 70 issues, 1864-1867. This bound volume of The Californian begins with the first issue of May 28, 1864. It was primarily a weekly literary periodical with some local news thrown in. Charles Henry Webb started the paper but Bret Harte soon succeeded him as the editor. One of the contributors [...]
Jack Downing was a comic character created in 1830 by Seba Smith, who developed the country dialect-speaking character in a series of letters for the Portland Courier. As Downing became famous, Charles Augustus Davis imitated the style and wrote under the same name for New York papers. Davis started Major Downing’s Advocate on Mar. 12, [...]
AAS has few newspapers from Delaware County, NY and, until this spring, only two issues from the town of Deposit. Six years ago we were the underbidder at auction on a lot of the Deposit Courier. The person who won it was a Californian, John Aiello, who had grown up in Deposit. Mr. Aiello promised [...]
…a young man named Henry L. Joslin, from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was writing home to his mother on September 24th. Henry, born in 1843, was serving in the Civil War and was working picket duty in Poolsville. In his letter he describes his camp, what guard duty was like, and gives updates about his health, and other [...]
Schoolmarm, 1870
