Old newspapers were not all doom, gloom, and serious business. Between the big stories, they also made room for witty observations and the kind of lines that probably had readers chuckling over their morning coffee.
We found an interesting collection of old newspaper clippings that offers a hilarious little look at the past, with plenty of quotes that still feel surprisingly relevant today. Scroll down for a trip back in time that might put a smile on your face and remind you that good humor never really gets old.
#1 The San Francisco Examiner, California, August 23, 1932
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#2 The New York World, New York, August 9, 1896
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#3 Chicago Tribune, Illinois, September 20, 1925
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
Newspapers have been around for a surprisingly long time. According to the World Association of Newspapers, Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien is officially recognized as the world’s oldest newspaper ever printed.
In English, the Relation’s German name translates to “Account of all distinguished and commemorable news.” Printer Johann Carolus produced the newspaper in Strasbourg, Germany, in 1605.
#4 The Schuyler Sun, Nebraska, September 12, 1902
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#5 Jackson County Banner, Brownstone, Indiana, August 29, 1928
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#6 The San Francisco Examiner, California, August 10, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
You might be wondering what exactly people read centuries ago. Well, it was a little bit of everything. Historical newspaper collections contain political news, local events, business information, advertisements, social announcements, sports, obituaries, comics, and stories about major events of the day.
Newspapers back then did not just focus on major historical moments. They also covered the everyday stuff that mattered to ordinary readers, which is part of what makes these old clippings so much fun to look through now.
#7 Winsor Mccay In The Buffalo Enquirer, New York, August 8, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#8 The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio, August 7, 1947
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#9 New-York Tribune, New York, July 2, 1916
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
Local news can be revealing because it brought history down to a very human level. An old newspaper might tell you what was happening in a particular town, what businesses were advertising, which events were taking place, or what people were talking about in their communities.
These details felt completely ordinary when they were printed. Years later, though, they become tiny snapshots of how people actually lived. A major historical event can tell you what happened. But an old newspaper can also show you what people were buying, worrying about, celebrating, and arguing over while it was happening.
#10 Lincoln Journal Star, Nebraska, June 28, 1934
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#11 The Greenville Daily News, South Carolina, September 19, 1919
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#12 The Pittsburgh Press, Pennsylvania, September 15, 1932
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
Humor and cartoons became an important part of newspaper culture, giving readers something fun to look at alongside all the serious news. Richard Felton Outcault’s The Yellow Kid is a good example.
The character first appeared in the New York World in 1896 as a little boy in a bright yellow nightshirt, and the cartoon became so popular that other newspapers soon followed with their own comic characters. Outcault even added slangy messages to the character’s shirt, giving readers another reason to stop and read.
#13 The Wageworker, Lincoln, Nebraska, September 13, 1907
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#14 The Age-Herald, Birmingham, Alabama, September 12, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#15 Brown County World, Hiawatha, Kansas, September 5, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
Historical newspapers are packed with advertisements for businesses, products, services, jobs, property, and pretty much anything else someone was hoping to buy or sell. Newspaper advertising has been around for centuries, giving businesses a way to get their products in front of readers while helping newspapers make money too.
Looking at those old ads today is like getting a little peek into what people were shopping for back then. From household goods to jobs and property, they show what people needed, wanted, and were willing to spend their money on.
#16 The San Francisco Examiner, California, September 6, 1934
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#17 Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Kansas, August 26, 1905
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#18 Brooklyn Eagle, New York, August 23, 1921
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
These old publications carried political news and commentary alongside stories about society, business, culture, and local affairs. Some papers were closely tied to particular political viewpoints, so they could show readers not only what was happening, but also how they were encouraged to interpret it.
The British Library’s records, for example, show newspapers with clearly stated political leanings and strong involvement in political debates. So while the names, parties, and issues have changed over the years, people having very strong opinions about politics is one tradition that has clearly survived.
#19 The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1936
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#20 The Roanoke News, Weldon, North Carolina, August 19, 1909
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#21 The Minneapolis Journal, Minnesota, August 15, 1905
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
Political cartoons and comic strips gave artists a way to poke fun at public figures, social habits, and whatever was making news that week. A good cartoon could get a point across without needing a whole page of explanation.
Newspapers eventually became a place where readers could catch up on the news and then see the same news turned into something funny. That mix of information and humor helped make comics and cartoons a regular part of the newspaper experience.
#22 Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, Kansas, August 8, 1912
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#23 Good Morning By The Daily Mirror, England, August 9, 1943
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#24 The Winchester Star, Kansas, August 2, 1929
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
People back then had plenty on their minds too. They worried about money, followed politics, looked for jobs, ran businesses, went to sporting events, and found ways to have fun. The world around them looked very different from ours. But many of the things they cared about were still relevant today.
That could be part of what makes these old clippings so interesting. For all the changes over the years, people were still trying to get through the day, make a living, and enjoy themselves along the way.
#25 The Tampa Tribune, Florida, August 2, 1938
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#26 The Daily Times, New Philadelphia, Ohio, July 31, 1924
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#27 The Age, Melbourne, Australia, July 30, 1937
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
There’s something oddly satisfying about breezing through the past and realizing how relevant some of these things still are today.
Which clipping caught your attention the most? And if you have a newspaper gem of your own, drop it in the comments.
#28 Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 26, 1914
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#29 The Los Angeles Times, California, July 15, 1929
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#30 The Wageworker, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 31, 1907
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#31 The Macon News, Georgia, July 10, 1915
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#32 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, July 8, 1901
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#33 The Decatur Herald, Illinois, September 16, 1929
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#34 The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, California, September 30, 1939
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#35 The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, September 4, 1949
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#36 Holbrook Argus, Arizona, September 3, 1912
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#37 Dixon Evening Telegraph, Illinois, August 30, 1928
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#38 The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah, August 29, 1935
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#39 The Cook County Herald, Grand Marais, Minnesota, August 22, 1903
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#40 The Gaffney Ledger, South Carolina, August 15, 1925
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#41 Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Florida, August 15, 1914
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#42 The Wichita Beacon, Kansas, August 9, 1918
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#43 The Centralia Enterprise, Kansas, August 8, 1884
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#44 Evening Public Ledger, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1918
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#45 The Decatur Herald, Illinois, July 28, 1925
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#46 The Wageworker, Lincoln, Nebraska, July 12, 1907
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#47 Perrysburg Journal, Ohio, July 5, 1890
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#48 The San Francisco Examiner, California, June 30, 1932
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#49 The Tatler, England, June 29, 1938
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#50 The San Francisco Examiner, California, June 29, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#51 Edmonton Journal, Alberta, June 29, 1948
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#52 The San Francisco Examiner, California, September 17, 1934
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#53 Independence Daily Reporter, Kansas, September 13, 1906
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#54 The Topeka Daily Capital, Kansas, August 8, 1905
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#55 The Columbus Weekly Advocate, Kansas, July 30, 1914
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#56 The Tampa Tribune, Florida, July 25, 1913
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#57 The Winnipeg Tribune, Manitoba, November 7, 1936
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#58 The Bremen Enquirer, Indiana, July 24, 1930
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#59 The Winnipeg Tribune, Manitoba, October 14, 1939
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#60 The Winnipeg Tribune, Manitoba, November 11, 1933
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#61 The Kansas Industrialist, Manhattan, July 18, 1917
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#62 Chicago Tribune, Illinois, October 15, 1905
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#63 Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico, July 10, 1931
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#64 The Star Press, Muncie, Indiana, July 10, 1955
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#65 The Macon News, Georgia, July 10, 1915
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#66 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, July 5, 1910
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#67 St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Missouri, July 1, 1922
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#68 The Fool-Killer, Pores Knob, North Carolina, July 1, 1926
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#69 The Missoulian, Montana, June 30, 1934
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
#70 The Call-Leader, Elwood, Indiana, June 28, 1915
Image source: Yesterday’s Print
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