| Presented for sale by Phil Barber, Cambridge, Mass. 02139 Telephone (617) 492-4653 |
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About This Era and its Newspapers
Those hot, sad, wrenching times - the army volunteers, all states, or North or South: the wounded, suffering, dying; the exhausting, sweating summers; marches, battles' carnage; those trenches hurriedly heaped by the corpses, thousands, mainly unknown - will the America of the future, will this vast, rich Union ever realize what itself cost back there, after all?" -Walt Whitman.
Contemporary newspapers are a unique treasury of the era, offering first-person narratives of life in military service, and commentary on the social, political, and economic scenes. They are also rich in detailed reports of the great battles upon which the destiny of the nation would hinge, and, in the pictorial press, fine woodcut images of the war's events and participants. The familiar features of the modern newspaper are however lacking in Civil War newspapers. Such staples of Twentieth Century daily journalism as bold front page headlines, illustrations and cartoons, sports and comics sections, and physical size of more than four or eight pages would come into being as results of technological developments still far in the future in the eighteen sixties. Yet, the newspapers reflect the style and sensibility of their time with unique and often dramatic immediacy, and capture the very best of their era.
About The Catalog Listings
These are the finest quality original antique newspapers and magazines, that you might find elsewhere priced at much greater cost. It has always been my policy to present my catalog items at "wholesale to the public" prices. Therefore all catalog items and quoted prices are net, and are not subject to further discount, either for dealers or in consideration of quantity orders. It is our policy to price our items based on what we believe to be their fair market value. I do not set prices at absurdly inflated levels to take advantage of novices or "investors"; nor do employ the common ploy of starting with an unrealistically high price in order to "negotiate" a phony discount later. As over a third of our catalog orders are from dealers buying for resale, at our stated prices, we have every confidence that this policy maintains an ethical standard of integrity and fairness to all.
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 characteristic minor spine weakness or separation without significant paper loss. Magazines are disbound from annual volumes and lack wraps unless otherwise stated, as these were very rarely preserved in the bound runs. Each catalog entry is briefly described for its general appearance, historical significance, and content. Every one contains hours of additional historic reading and insights into the world preserved on its pages, much more than I could find the space to describe here.
I pride myself on the quality and accuracy of my catalog descriptions, and strive to provide all the information needed to enable you to make an informed selection. Please consult my collector information pages and glossary of terms page linked below, if you are not sure of what any of the descriptive terms mean.
Your comments are always welcome, as are your inquiries, if you have questions about these historic collectibles. We value our customers, and appreciate the confidence you place in us when ordering from our online 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. Enjoy your browsing!
See also my new Collector Information Page detailing how to detect the occasional reproductions of Civil War newspapers that have been produced over the years.
Pictures of Cataloged Items
Because catalog items tend to sell quickly, I ask that you e-mail your order to me to confirm availability before you send payment. My catalogs use a "shopping cart" system, which will take you from each catalog to a confirmation page and when you are ready, to the order checkout page. To use it, please be sure the "javascript" and "accept cookies" functions are enabled in your browser.
To order a catalog item, please press the "Add to Cart" button. You will then see your "shopping basket" and its contents and total. You may remove selected items at any time, and use your browser's "Forward" button to view the cart page whenever you wish, and your "Back" button to return to the catalogs.
When you are ready to place your order, simply click "submit" on the completed checkout page, and it will be e-mailed to me. As soon as I receive your order, I will confirm the availability of your selections via return e-mail, with your invoice for the total amount due, and I will reserve your confirmed selections for receipt of payment.
I accept checks, money orders, and all credit cards through PayPal, the free, safest Internet payment service. If you choose this payment option on your order form, I will request PayPal to send you a bill for the amount of your confirmed order. As soon as your payment is received, I will ship your order to you.
Basic postage per order addressed within the United States is just $4.75. Because of the many, continual rate increases mandated by the post office, there must also be a small extra shipping charge, as noted per item. I have adjusted it carefully to reflect actual shipping cost, which includes the weight of the packing material and heavy safety mailers I use to ensure your order arrives safely. Regrettably I must decline international orders due to recent huge increases in costs and customs requirements. There is a seven day return privilege on all items.
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