Rare Newspaper Collection
Related Links
From the April 8, 1728 New England Weekly Journal
(Boston, MA), the oldest newspaper in the collection. |
It has been said that “A
newspaper is lumber made malleable. It is ink made into words and pictures.
It is conceived, born, grows up and dies of old age in a day” (Jim
Bishop in Quill, Oct., 1963). At Haverford’s Special
Collections, however, the usefulness of newspapers lasts far longer than
just a day!
The Rare Newspaper Collection at Haverford is comprised
of over 250 titles from the 18th through 20th centuries of British and
American cities with an emphasis on New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.
Topical strengths of the collection lie in accounts of Quaker, reform
and anti-slavery activities. The newspapers are unbound and predominately
oversized.
The research value of these newspapers lies in their “old
age.” Historical perspective enriches study of the topics of the
day. Contemporary reports of what we now consider historical events supply
depth and opportunity for first-hand discovery. Newspapers provide commentary
on material culture through advertisements and are examples of print culture
from various locales. The breadth of these collections allows for comparative
studies between cities on the same events of the day.
|
