“Back number” in contemporary parlance means “back issue.” Today we take for granted the availability of old newspapers and other periodicals, as well as their invaluable glimpse into our past. But this was not the case in the 19th century. [Read more…] about Back Number Budd: A 19th Century One-Man Newspaper Archive
Media
Unusual Christmas Safety Warnings from the Past
Twenty years ago, Dana Carvey’s character, “Grumpy Old Man,” was a popular recurring feature of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. He’d offer an assessment of current times compared to the so-called “good old days,” highlighting some barbaric practices of the past (exaggerated to great comedic effect) with the closing line, “And we liked it!”
I was reminded of that concept while perusing some shocking guidelines suggested in the early 1900s regarding the enjoyment of a safe Christmas season. Regional newspapers carried a list of suggestions for an enhanced experience … and I liked it! [Read more…] about Unusual Christmas Safety Warnings from the Past
New York State Summer School of the Arts
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2021 New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA). The four-week summer program will be held fully online to ensure safety during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Tuition will be free for all students who qualify, fostering equity by allowing students who may not have been able to participate otherwise. Students will be able to experience intensive work and interaction with internationally acclaimed artists and performing arts companies. [Read more…] about New York State Summer School of the Arts
Local Newspaper Editor Ponders Election of 1876
Presidential elections can strain neighborly relations, as reiterated in Washington County’s Granville Sentinel in 1876.
“The one pleasant thing about it, when the cruel suspense is over, they’ll be less lying in the newspapers and less personal defamation in the streets,” the Sentinel quipped on October 29th. [Read more…] about Local Newspaper Editor Ponders Election of 1876
Old Ticonderoga Gets A Newspaper, 1874
“The sleighing just now is good and our teamsters are happy. The cotton factory is running full time,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported in its debut issue on Feb. 7, 1874. “The band boys are looking for rooms in which to practice.” [Read more…] about Old Ticonderoga Gets A Newspaper, 1874
Blue Coal for Christmas: 1930s Glens Falls Radio
Are you getting Blue Coal for Christmas?
You might have asked Santa Claus that question, when he took to the air on WBGF radio 1370 of Glens Falls at 6:30 pm Dec. 6, 1930, sponsored by Merkel & Gelman department store.
But to be certain, you would have wanted a second opinion, because only “The Shadow knows!” [Read more…] about Blue Coal for Christmas: 1930s Glens Falls Radio
Charles Evans Hughes Lecture In Ticonderoga
Longtime Glens Falls Post-Star reporter Maury Thompson will present a program on local figure Charles Evans Hughes on April 12th in Ticonderoga.
Hughes served as Governor of New York from 1907 until 1910. After serving as governor, Hughes was a U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. He resigned from the Court in 1916 to accept the Republican nomination for President, losing by a narrow margin to incumbent Democrat Woodrow Wilson. He would go on to serve as U.S. Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. [Read more…] about Charles Evans Hughes Lecture In Ticonderoga
Copyright & Fair Use in Early America
In the 21st century, we are all creators and users of content. We take original photos with our smartphones, generate blog posts, digital videos, and podcasts. Some of us write books and articles. And nearly everyone contributes content to social media.
Given all of the information and content we generate and use, it’s really important for us to understand the principles of copyright and fair use, principles that have an early American past. [Read more…] about Copyright & Fair Use in Early America
Long Island: Newsday’s History With Bob Keeler
Newsday has helped shape the development of Nassau and Suffolk counties since its first edition rolled off the presses in 1940. And it never would have happened without the unique marriage of Alicia Patterson and Harry Guggenheim.
Learn the backstory of Long Island’s paper of record, as told by former Newsday reporter Bob Keeler. Bob spent years researching the lives of Alicia, Harry, Bill Moyers, and all those involved in Newsday‘s first half-century.
His book Newsday: A Candid History of the Respectable Tabloid, published in 1990, is required reading for anyone interested in Long Island, journalism, and post-WWII politics. [Read more…] about Long Island: Newsday’s History With Bob Keeler
Panel: Journalists to Discuss Free Press, First Amendment
Women March in Seneca Falls will host a panel discussion of media professionals, “People for Free Press…a First Amendment Right,” on March 25, 2017 at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. This non-partisan, inclusive event seeks to inform about the U.S. Constitution’s right of a free press. Panelists will focus remarks on the First Amendment right to a free press and their personal/professional experience with efforts in the US to diminish that right. A Q&A will follow the presentations. [Read more…] about Panel: Journalists to Discuss Free Press, First Amendment