Colonial America
"Full Eclipse" Colonial Illustration Woodblock Printing Plate by John Draper, Boston Weekly-Newsletter Publisher
c. 1756 Colonial French and Indian War Period, Hand-Engraved Woodblock Printing Plate displaying a "Full Eclipse," an Astronomical Image Illustration, by John Draper, Colonial Publisher of the Boston Weekly-Newsletter (1733 to 1762), Choice Very Fine.
John Draper published the "Boston Weekly-Newsletter" from 1733 to 1762, when he transferred the newspaper to his son Richard Draper, who then renamed it the "Massachusetts Gazette" and published it until 1774, just prior to the American Revolutionary War. This clearly defined "Full Eclipse" woodblock engraving has a thin white edge along the outside border. See: Reilly's #1961, page. 479: by John Draper, Boston, 1756. It measures 1.25" square, 3/4" thick, with dark previously print inked surface patina. These woodblock printing plates depict astronomical events, and served as illustrations for almanacs or newspapers of the period, as indicated by Elizabeth Reilly in "Colonial American Printers' Ornaments & Illustrations" (1975). These woodblocks were used to create illustrations similar to those reproduced in Reilly's book. Many of the original Colonial prints, almanacs or pamphlets are housed at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts. Any "Full Eclipse" whether lunar or of the sun was a remarkable event worthy of preparation and published advance notice. Woodblock. Cut and engraved printing woodblock relating to astronomy. Ex: From Sotheby's June 2001, lot 162.
The Boston Newsletter, Number 1, Boston: B. Green, 1704



Three hundred plus years ago on 24 April 1704, John Campbell, the postmaster of Boston, published the first issue of the Boston News-Letter. A small single sheet, printed on both sides, the News-Letter made history as the first continuously published newspaper in America.



The Boston News-Letter appeared weekly until c. 1774 and had no competition in Boston until 21 December 1719, when the first issue of the Boston Gazette appeared. Even Philadelphia and New York, the two largest cities in British America, lacked their own newspapers until 1719 and 1725 respectively.



This first issue of the Boston News-Letter, as befits a British colony, was full of news from Mother England, including lengthy abstracts from mid-December issues of the London Flying Post and London Gazette. These articles concerned the Papist (i.e. French) threats to Scotland, Ireland, and England and warned of the "bloody designs of Papists and Jacobites." An extract dated Dublin, Nov. 27, tells of Irish "beginning to form themselves into bodies, and to plunder the Protestants of their arms and money." An extract of Queen Anne's speech to Parliament acquaints them of "unquestionable informations of very ill practices and designs carried on in Scotland by emissaries from France."



The local news, occupying only one column on page 2, consists of brief notices of maritime arrivals and activities, the appointment of Nathanael Byfield as Judge of the Admiralty, and the preaching of an "excellent" sermon by Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton of Boston's Old South Church on 1 Thessalonians 4.11: "And do your own business." The sheet concludes with Campbell's advertisement informing the public that the News-Letter would be continued weekly and soliciting advertisements and subscriptions.



Publishing the Boston News-Letter:



John Campbell (1653-1728), the founding publisher and editor of the Boston News-Letter, was born in Scotland, later emigrating to Boston where he set up shop as a bookseller. Campbell served as postmaster of Boston from 1702-1718 and for several years, also served as a justice of the peace for Suffolk County. In 1722, Campbell transferred the operation of the paper to Bartholomew Green (1666-1732), who had been the printer of the newspaper since its inception. The ownership of the paper remained in Green's hands until his death in 1732, when, as with many family-operated newspapers in colonial America, it passed first to his son-in-law John Draper, and from there to Draper's son Richard and Richard's widow Margaret.



The Boston News-Letter was the only newspaper to continue publication in Boston during the opening phase of the Revolution. The last issue appeared in February of 1776.