Thanks (for the newspapers), Obama
October 30, 2016 6:52 PM Subscribe
On November 5th 2008 and November 7th 2012 here in London England, I tried to collect as many British newspapers as I could that featured Barack Hussein Obama II's historic election to the presidency of the United States. The whole world was united in pride for the US on both of those days.
Now that he's moving out of the White House, I feel like it's time to give them away; the question is, who gets them? [Preferably to someone in New York City. Sorry Duluth.]
I'm on my way to NYC next week, and between sucking down egg creams, checking out the latest in gentrification, and (most importantly) watching the finale of this insane election cycle ringside, I'd like to give these newspapers to someone, or some organisation, that could get something out of a stack of international historical curios. I've thought about schools but I don't know how to get in touch or even what age range would be appropriate (some of the papers feature naked women, because they're typically awful British rags). I doubt the NYPL would be interested, but maybe some historical society? I really don't know, so please, help me with your kind and creative suggestions.
There are 20 papers in total, ranging from the Guardian and the Times to the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail. Email is tencoldhotdogs@gmail.com in case you want to talk to me directly - memail is fine too.
[As an aside, I'm not looking to make any money from this, unless of course they're worth thousands in which case make me an offer. But I doubt that, so really I just want whoever gets them to make good use of them. I also think I'd rather keep the collection together, if possible, so that coverage can be compared. And also that way I don't have to lug them all over the city.]
I'm on my way to NYC next week, and between sucking down egg creams, checking out the latest in gentrification, and (most importantly) watching the finale of this insane election cycle ringside, I'd like to give these newspapers to someone, or some organisation, that could get something out of a stack of international historical curios. I've thought about schools but I don't know how to get in touch or even what age range would be appropriate (some of the papers feature naked women, because they're typically awful British rags). I doubt the NYPL would be interested, but maybe some historical society? I really don't know, so please, help me with your kind and creative suggestions.
There are 20 papers in total, ranging from the Guardian and the Times to the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail. Email is tencoldhotdogs@gmail.com in case you want to talk to me directly - memail is fine too.
[As an aside, I'm not looking to make any money from this, unless of course they're worth thousands in which case make me an offer. But I doubt that, so really I just want whoever gets them to make good use of them. I also think I'd rather keep the collection together, if possible, so that coverage can be compared. And also that way I don't have to lug them all over the city.]
My first thought was the Newseum.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 8:10 PM on October 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Pandora Kouti at 8:10 PM on October 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
Loads of people do this for historical events. Loads. There's no dollar value to be wrung out of this.
Either read up on preservation techniques for newspapers and hoard them and let somebody inherit them, by which time they will be substantially more interesting, or see if a local school has an American Studies class which could put them to some use.
posted by kmennie at 11:32 PM on October 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
Either read up on preservation techniques for newspapers and hoard them and let somebody inherit them, by which time they will be substantially more interesting, or see if a local school has an American Studies class which could put them to some use.
posted by kmennie at 11:32 PM on October 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, formally opened and dedicated last month by President Barack Obama to great acclaim, might be interested in them. It's in Washington, DC, but maybe you could ship them down there, or deliver them to some office of the Smithsonian Institution in NYC?
Wikipedia has a category African-American museums in New York.
The Internet Archive has affiliates all over the place, they scan public domain books, and have a site that does some non-public-domain news video clips, but I don't know if they traffic in non-public-domain newspapers at all.
posted by XMLicious at 2:05 AM on October 31, 2016
Wikipedia has a category African-American museums in New York.
The Internet Archive has affiliates all over the place, they scan public domain books, and have a site that does some non-public-domain news video clips, but I don't know if they traffic in non-public-domain newspapers at all.
posted by XMLicious at 2:05 AM on October 31, 2016
These really aren't very valuable, strictly speaking sales. But as an archivist, I've often found that some of the most sentimentally precious records are like that, unfortunately. I'd find someone you know who really wants them and give them away, no matter which side of the Atlantic. Then you know they'll be well cared for.
posted by backwards compatible at 6:32 AM on October 31, 2016
posted by backwards compatible at 6:32 AM on October 31, 2016
I had a high school teacher who saved those kinds of front pages throughout his life, laminated them, and put them on the walls of his classroom. They were cool, especially the ones that were printed before I was born.
posted by homodachi at 8:45 AM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by homodachi at 8:45 AM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately, most museums do not have an interest in this kind of collection. If they did want to acquire newspapers about an event like that, they most likely did it at the same time you did, and anything they want to save is already archived. A lot of people save these sorts of things and typically there isn't much that's unique or valuable about these records. Having them preserved in the archives of the newspapers themselves is sufficient for the historical record.
Schools might find it an interesting collection, but you'd really have to connect with the right teacher.
posted by Miko at 8:45 AM on November 1, 2016
Schools might find it an interesting collection, but you'd really have to connect with the right teacher.
posted by Miko at 8:45 AM on November 1, 2016
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