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Re: Newspapers as primary sources



Colleagues:

When I found that the major lumber company (upon which I'm basing my own
book on railroad logging in Mendocino County, CA) had destroyed all but a
random handful of its 85 years + corporate record trail -- in 1969, no less!
-- I had to resort to newspapers as my almost-primary source research
material.

Therein lay a gold mine, esp from the tiny weekly community paper (the Fort
Bragg Advocate-News). The only copies (N. Baker, eat your heart out) were
tattered and torn, but sorta' bound originals -- 95% complete circa 1880 to
the present, and held in the A-N's break room on wood and steel shelving.
The employees mined these editions regularly (hence the shot bindings, wear
and tear) to put together contemporary "Pages of the Past" columns. The
paper eventually was convinced (not by me, but I sure prodded) to pay for
microfilms before only dust was left of the specimen originals. Sadly, the
only microfil copies are in the Fort Bragg City Library, and no duplicates
at California State Library!

 [Holly Hodges -- I "sense" your sensibility!]

Kevin (with apologies to the late, great Henry James) Bunker
Student Assistant
California State Archives

> ----------
> From:         Holly Hodges[SMTP:FHHodges@AOL.COM]
> Reply To:     FHHodges@AOL.COM
> Sent:         Wednesday, May 16, 2001 3:12 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Newspapers as primary sources
>
> According to Lee Miller:
>
> <<Since the subject here is newspapers, however, a newspaper would be a
> secondary source for anyone researching the subjects covered in the
> articles,
> but a primary source for persons studying the history of the paper, the
> paper's publisher or editors, the history of printing, journalism trends,
> newspaper ink stability, editorial reactions to events, etc. >>
>
> Thanks, Lee!  At one time newspapers were not very high on my list of
> stuff
> to consider "primary sources" but in the x number of years since that time
> I've encountered quite a few journalism historians and my perception is
> much
> different.  I'll probably always have this thing about holographic
> material
> and iron gall ink, but yes, it all comes down to what it is you're
> studying.
>
> Holly Hodges
> (trying to regain a sense of sensibility after that Volkswagon thing
> earlier
> today!)
>
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> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>