Newspapers - Frequently Asked Questions

This page is devoted to answering some frequently asked questions about early newspapers and to help you understand some of the terms used on this site as well as other vendor's sites, on-line auctions, etc.  (many of the answers apply to 19th century magazines and other old paper items as well). 

Q.  Won't these old newspapers crumble and fall apart?

A.   No, on the contrary,  newspapers published prior to approximately 1880, were printed on what is referred to as "Rag Paper".  The paper was made using a rag pulp (made of cotton & linen fibers) rather than wood pulp (typically poplar wood fibers).    The rag fibers in the paper are much less susceptible to deterioration resulting from exposure to light, chemical reactions, temperature and humidity variations, etc.,  and as a result, in most cases, the paper has remained strong and pliable.   The newspaper industry transitioned from rag paper to wood pulp paper during the mid-1870's through the mid-1880's period, primarily due to the lack of rag pulp available to support increased newspaper circulation and the high cost of producing rag pulp paper.  Newspapers from the early 19th Century and the 18th Century have even higher rag content and are often in even better condition than newspapers from later in the 19th Century.  Wood pulp newspapers from the 1890's and the 20th Century are sometimes brittle and discolored depending on how they were stored - it is a good idea to ask about this if the condition is not described thoroughly. Most magazines, however, were, and continue to be, published on rag pulp or linen based paper.

Q.   I see the term "foxing" used quite frequently - what does that mean?

A.  "Foxing" is a term used to describe spots or stains on the paper resulting from age,  storage environment,  or a chemical reaction in the paper.  The spots are typically a reddish brown color,  very close to the color of a "red fox", hence the term "foxing".   This condition can range from very minor and subtle spots to very heavy discoloration of the entire page.  It would be a good idea to ask further questions about any item advertised or represented as having "heavy foxing".  (See Sample Image Below: Dec. 25, 1852 Albion newspaper with moderate foxing).

Q.  I see many 18th and 19th Century newspapers advertised as from a "Bound Volume" - are these the real newspapers or are they newspapers that were re-printed at a later date?

A.  In the 18th and 19th Centuries, before the days of radio and TV, newspapers were the primary vehicle for receiving local, US, and world news, disseminating political information, exchanging ideas and experiences, and receiving product advertising.  For these reasons and for the historical record they provided, many of the more "well-to-do"  newspaper subscribers  kept their subscription copies of the newspaper and periodically sent them to a book bindery to have them bound into hard cover volumes to become a permanent addition to their personal library.  This practice has resulted in the preservation of many more early newspapers than would have been the case if they were stored as individual newspapers.  While it is true that volumes were created for the newspaper office's records and for institutions, the majority of bound volumes from the 18th and early 19th Centuries were made up of personal subscription copies.  Bearing this out, many of the newspapers in bound volumes will have folds and quite frequently the subscribers name handwritten in ink by the newspaper office in the upper margin.   (See Sample Image Below:   October 5, 1812 Connecticut Mirror newspaper from a bound volume that exhibits both a trace of a vertical fold (vertically through the "U" in "TICUT" and the handwritten name of the subscriber, "Wm. Bigelow" from when it was an individual subscription newspaper).

This practice of individuals maintaining their own personal library volumes of the newspapers continued, but to a lesser extent later in the 19th century as there were more and more educational institutions and libraries that maintained volumes of the newspapers provided by the newspaper publisher.   

Fortunately, most of the well known newspapers of the 18th and 19th Century have been recorded on microfiche by libraries and educational institutions, providing a permanent record of these important historical documents. 

Q.  I purchased an early newspaper and it has glue residue at the spine and some small spine chips - Why?

A.  The newspapers when bound, were generally glued at the spine and some times stitched.  In separating the volume into individual newspapers it is sometimes unavoidable to have chips in the spine and some glue residue from the binding process.

Q.  What size are these early newspapers?

A.  The size of newspapers changed fairly regularly throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries.  The following is just a rule of thumb or average sizes from the different periods - there are many, many exceptions:

• 18th Century (Colonial Period)  - Generally ranged from 5" by 7" to 9" by 12"
• 18th Century (1780's - 1800) Typically about 11" by 17"
• 19th Century (1800-1820's) Typically 12" by 19" to 13" by 20"
• 19th Century (1830's-1850's) Many of the newspapers in this period increased in size as time went on culminating in what are referred to as "Horse Blanket Papers" (used by some publishers) in the 1850's that could be as large as 24" by 36" or larger.  
• 19th Century (1850's-1880's) Typically 14" by 20" to 19" by 24"
• 19th Century (1880's - 1900) Typically similar in size to present day newspapers   

These changes in size were driven more by printing press technology than by any other factor.

Q.  I purchased some early newspapers - how do I display and preserve them?

A.  Early newspapers printed on rag paper require very little special care although it is advisable to avoid extremes in temperature and humidity and to keep them out of direct sunlight.  If you choose to have them framed and mounted for display, have your frame shop use only acid free framing materials and UV filtering glass as you would with any piece of artwork or memorabilia you wanted to preserve.

Created  6/13/00 by dh