The Library of Virginia
 

The Engraver's Art: Newspaper Mastheads


There was once an artistry in the creation of a newspaper's masthead. Whether they came from an original name, an artistic image, or a declaration of intention, newspaper mastheads (and titles) were much more vibrant than today's rather staid, computer and color enhanced examples. The Virginia Newspaper Project offers a small (and hopefully ever changing) selection of the more interesting mastheads we have uncovered to date. Many of the linked images below are fairly large, but well worth the wait.


masthead image
The Independent Virginian (Richmond, Va.), an "anti-machine" newspaper (circa 1921).


masthead image
The Record (Richmond, Va.), a Civil War era publication that used the official seal of the Confederate States in its masthead (circa 1862).


masthead image
The Richmond Planet (Richmond, Va.), one of the America's oldest black newspapers (circa 1923).


masthead image
The Free-Lance (Norfolk, Va,), an anti-monopoly paper (circa 1905).


masthead image
The Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.), "Victory Day" edition celebrating the surrender of Nazi forces (circa 1945).


masthead image
S.A.L. Magundi (Portsmouth, Va.), a paper devoted to the Seaboard Air Line (circa 1897).


masthead image
The Southern Opinion (Richmond, Va.), a post-Civil War title with a masthead remembering the Confederacy (circa 1868).


masthead image
New York Ninth (Warrenton, Va.), a Union army newspaper printed on a captured printing press in Virginia (circa 1862).


cover image
The South (New York, NY), a newspaper often printed in periodical format (circa 1886).


masthead image
The Arkansaw Traveler (Littlerock, Ar.), the paper with the "musical masthead" (circa 1883).


masthead image
Gleason's Weekly Line of Battleship (Boston, Ma.), a paper with an emphasis on nautical themes (circa 1859).


masthead image
The Resources of California (San Francisco, Ca.), a publication devoted to the land, people, and resources of California (circa 1880).


masthead image
Andrew's American Queen (New York, NY.), a "society paper" for art, music and literature. (circa 1880).


masthead image
The Present state of the New-English affairs (Boston, Mass.), published in 1689--reputed to be the first newspaper printed in the American colonies.


The Newspaper Project welcomes your comments or suggestions. Please send E-mail directly to: Errol Somay, Project Director, at: Errol.Somay@lva.virginia.gov.