Q. How do I find historical newspapers?

Answered By: Kathryn Ray
Last Updated: Aug 16, 2022     Views: 330

The Subject Guide for News & Newspapers has a tab for useful websites and historical news databases that are searchable online.  Multiple historical newspapers can be searched simultaneously by using the database

  • Emphasis on 20th-century historic newspapers. Coverage includes major American newspapers and prominent publications from underrepresented voices such as African American news, Jewish news, and publications covering gender issues.

Additional online sources:

"Radical" Newspapers

AU Library has dozens of facsimile volumes of newspapers published by socialists, unions, and communists groups from 1881-1961.  These and other volumes are shelved in our WRLC storage facility.  They may be requested by through the library catalog.  The volumes will be sent to the Borrowing Desk.  They may need to be used in the library.

Years of coverage are approximate.

American Appeal 1926-27 

American Socialist 1914-17

American Spectator 1932-34 

Catholic Worker 1933-1961

Champion 1936-1937

Communist 1919-1921

Conscientious Objector 1943-46

Industrial Unionist 1932-34 

Industrial Worker 1909-1911

Labor Action 1940-1958

Militant & New Militant 1928-1936

New Day 1920-1922

New Student  1922-1925

New York Communist 1919

Revolutionary Age 1918-19; 1929-32

Spanish Revolution 1936-38

Socialist 1919

Wilshire's 1904-1909

Weekly Review 1940-1943 (earlier years in storage)

Workers Age 1932-1941

Young Spartacus 1931-1935

Young Worker 1924-1936

Partial List of Additional Volumes in storage at the WRLC Center.  These will be sent on request to the Borrowing Desk.  The volumes must be used in the library.

Abolitionist Newspapers

AU Library has hundreds of facsimile volumes of African American newspapers published between 1840 and 1950.  The Folio (oversized) volumes are shelved in the WRLC offsite storage facility but may be requested through the library catalog.

Here are some sample volumes:

National Era 1847 -1860

National Principia 1859-1861

National Anti-Slavery Standard 1840-1870

Additional Sources for Historical News

Searching for Images in Historic Newspapers

 

Related Topics