Posted in : Comics , Vintage Paper| Tagged : dime novels , norman l. munro

NIU is holding a fundraiser April 2 - 3 to back an effort to conserve and digitise the world ’s serious collection of historically authoritative Family Story Paper .

Family Story Paperwas a general - interest weekly fiction newspaper that lasted for nearly 2,500 issuance from 1873 - 1921 .   It is widely considered to beone of the best - selling story paper of its era , and was part of the fundament for publisherNorman L. Munro ’s considerable fortune .   The serial publication featured a range of narration , including adventure , investigator fiction , and Romance language . Family Story Paperalso sport the earliest adventures of long - hightail it detective character Old Cap Collier . We ’ve discussed Munrohere a few times , as he ( and a handful of his publication contemporaries ) is a vastly underappreciated number in the centering of popular , mass - market newsstand fiction in America , and we also took a cryptic dive intoFamily Story Paper # 688a few years back .   As remark in the above video from Northern Illinois University , despite its popularity at the prison term , the title is more difficult to obtain than many other long - running floor report of this era , in part because for decades it was less collected than some others likeNew York Weekly .   NIU isrunning a fundraising campaignto conserve and digitize its holdings ofFamily Story Paperthat officially launches at 4:25 p.m. CST on Wednesday , April 2 ( the donation button will go live at that time ) and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday , April 3 .

An illustration depicting a dramatic scene where a woman yanks a rope, catching the attention of a surprised man in formal attire. The image includes a background with a train and various people observing the action in astonishment.

NIU has one of the world ’s best institutional holdings of dime novel material , and its continuing efforts to scan those holdings andmake them freely useable onlinefor anyone to say and study is one of the most significant such efforts going on in this country of research today . On a personal note , as someone who compile legion such series of 1,000 + issues myself , I can confirm that retention of 947 issues ofFamily Story Paperis fabulously telling .   The title is without doubt one of the toughened to obtain among the major , long - running 1000 + issue title — peculiarly the post-1900 - era dowry of the run .   As NIUnotes about the serial publication , it is of particular interest due to its contributions from female generator , includingLaura Jean Libbey , Nellie Bly , Mrs. E. Burke Collins , Emma Garrison Jones , andMrs . Alex McVeigh Miller .   To that I would add together that in general , there is more societal comment about those times embedded in the material here than is generally understand . As his life-time went on , Norman L. Munro enjoyed his considerable social standing in New York society , and he also had political ambition — all of which had an impact on the thing he publish .

Of particular inquiry involvement to me , for example , would be finding moreFamily Story Papercontributions by dime novel authorKenward Philp .   Philp was a note political anecdotist during this era , and in 1880 play a central role in theMorey varsity letter conspiracy , which had been an attempt to employ a bad missive purport to have been written byJames A. Garfieldto throw the Presidential Election of that year in favour ofWinfield Scott Hancock .   Philp was arrest , try , and acquit for his part in the matter ( though I have minuscule incertitude he was imply ) .   Considered quick - witted and knavish by coeval , reportedly have an eidetic memory and a considerable number of outside political contacts , Philp seldom wrote anything , even fiction , without some extra motives .   I would do it to see theseFamily Story Paperissues run down for this reason among many others .

NIU’sFamily Story Paperfundraising campaignofficially launches at 4:25 p.m. CST on Wednesday , April 2 , and terminate at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday , April 3.Running sum for the campaigncan also be tracked . NIU is seek to raise $ 10,000 , which will allow them to preserve and digitize 750 issue .   In the meantime , a look attheir on-line scans of dime novel materialis well deserving your time .

An old newspaper cover from ‘Family Story Paper’ dated June 18, 1898. It features illustrations including a woman with a hat, a scene with a flag, and soldiers, alongside a headline referencing the war in Cuba.

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An old newspaper cover from the New York Family Story Paper dated May 28, 1892, featuring illustrated scenes and the headline for Nellie Bly’s story ‘In Love With a Stranger.'

An antique newspaper cover featuring the title ‘Family Story Paper’ with bold decorative lettering. Illustrations on the page depict dramatic scenes of a woman and men in various emotional situations, along with text from a serialized story titled ‘In Love with a Stranger.'

Cover of the New York Family Story Paper, featuring illustrations and text. This edition includes a story titled ‘My Heart’s Darling’ by A.B.S. Jackman, published on April 2, 1892.

A vintage cover of the ‘New York Family Story Paper’ from March 19, 1892, featuring a decorative title and illustrations. The cover highlights a story titled ‘My Heart’s Darling; or All for Love’s Sweet Sake’ by A.B. Jackman, accompanied by various images depicting romantic and whimsical scenes.

A historical cover of The New York Family Story Paper, featuring an illustration of a woman in a long dress conversing with two men in formal attire. The text highlights a story titled ‘Eva, The Adventuress’ by Nellie Bly, reflecting on the themes of romance and adventure in 1890.