What we shall some day become will grow inexorably out of what today we are; and what we are now, in its turn, comes out of what earlier Americans were - out of what they did and thought and dreamed and hoped for, out of their trials and their aspirations, out of their shining victories and their dark and tragic defeats. -Bruce Catton, 1958.

Welcome to my Introductory Catalog of genuine historic newspapers. The papers and magazines I present here for your consideration were chosen from my archives as fine representatives of their times. Each is rich in everyday news, reported according to the standards of the time. They contain fascinating and collectible advertisements, together with opinion pieces, feature stories, and much more. I believe that these fine old newspapers truly bring the reality of the past back to life in a vivid way that no other historic artifact can duplicate.

The Newspapers

      In the United States every worthy citizen reads a newspaper, and owns the newspaper which he reads. A newspaper is a window through which men look out on all that is going on in the world. In our day, newspapers keep pace with history and record it. A good newspaper will keep a sensible man in sympathy with the world's current history. It is an ever-unfolding encyclopedia; an unbound book forever issuing and never finished. -Henry Ward Beecher, editorial in The Independent, 1864

All the papers and magazines are in excellent collectible condition and may be handled in safety. The older papers were printed on a fine quality of paper made of cotton and linen which has survived the passage of time in surprisingly nice condition. Later papers on newsprint are very well preserved, having been carefully archived over the years and are not brittle or otherwise impaired. I am sure you will be delighted with their exceptional state of preservation. I present only the finest condition newspapers that can be found to my valued friends and customers.

All items in this catalog are unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine and accurately described. They are in very fine used condition and are complete with all pages as issued. All papers are free of damage or objectionable defects. Newspapers are full folio size unless described as quarto (abbreviated 4to) or octavo (8vo), which are respectively smaller in format. Most newspapers have been removed from bound volumes and may exhibit normal minor spine weakness without disfiguring loss.

The Catalogs

My Introductory Catalog consists of five sections, which you can access by clicking on the links here or the banners below. They are

British and World Journalism. [1675 - 1945] I feature British journalism for its importance to understanding American history. Our tradition of the freedom of the press is firmly rooted in English soil, and British periodicals circulated extensively in the Colonies, many years before the first American newspaper. Likewise my sampler of world newspapers presents some attractive specimens from four centuries.

Each catalog item is very briefly described for its general appearance and content. There is so much more in every paper than I could possibly have the space to tell you about! Each one contains hours of historic reading and insights into the world preserved on its pages. The dates that you will receive are of my choice within the years listed. There is a good supply of different dates in stock of each title, so you may order multiples of each listing with confidence; all different dates will be provided. I cannot honor requests for specific dates or special historic content at these low "type issue" prices but we will be pleased to receive your want lists for such items.

Ordering Info

My catalogs employ a fast Javascript "shopping cart" system to tally up and send your order. Non-javascript users can email an order or use the printable order forms provided with each catalog. Orders may also be placed by telephone during regular business hours.

We accept payment by check, money order, or cash. We accept all credit cards through PayPal, Xcom's free Internet payment service.

Thank You!

Your comments are always welcome, as are your inquiries. We value our customers, and appreciate the confidence you place in us when ordering from our on line catalogs. We strive to merit your patronage and to enrich your collecting experience through accurate, knowledgeable descriptions, honest pricing, courteous service, and timely order filling.

Glossary of Terms Page | Collector Information Page | Want List Page | Home Page

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To browse my introductory catalogs of historic newspapers and paper collectibles, please click on the banners below:

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Some References Cited in the Catalogs

-Brigham, History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820. American Antiquarian Soc., 1947.
-Gregory, American Newspapers: A Union List of Files Available in the U.S. and Canada 1820-1935.
-Brown, E.T., Union List Of Serials in Libraries of the U.S. and Canada, 1965.
-Stewart, British Union Catalog of Periodicals (1955 and supplements).

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Suggested Bibliography for Reading about Journalism

-Emery, The Press and America, Prentiss Hall, 1972. A college level journalism text, detailed introduction to the subject, with useful bibliography.
-Lyons, Jim. Collecting American Newspapers, Jim Lyons, 1989. The best book written so far on historic newspaper collecting.
-Thomas, Isaiah, The History of Printing in America. 1810, since reprinted many times. Classic, first work on the subject, by the famed publisher.
-Mott, Frank L., American Journalism, Macmillan, 1941. The most detailed general reference book on the topic, a one volume library.
-Mott, F.L., A History of American Magazines, Harvard, 1957. Extremely detailed 4 volume set, a marvel of scholarship.,

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Navigate my Website:

--Select A Catalog-- Introductory Catalog Early Leaf Catalog The Earliest Americana 19th Century Americana Civil War Newspapers Vellum Indentures Pictorial Newspapers Miscellany and Modern British Journalism Reference Books

--Select a Web page-- Collectors Intro Website Index Picture Gallery My Sale terms History of Newspapers My Home Page Preserving Old Paper About Indentures Glossary of Terms

Contents ©2008 Phil Barber.