"Headlines of History" at the Mercantile Library

Newspapers are the most fascinating of resources for genealogists. Nowhere do we find out more about our ancestors than in the pages of newspapers, often filled with juicy gossip, changing social mores, advertisements that show us what everyday life was like, and photos of the communities and people with whom our ancestors interacted. Of course, many newspapers are now digitized and online, but to get a sense of what many of the earliest newspapers looked like, why not plan a visit to the Mercantile Library's newest ongoing exhibit, "Headlines of History: Historic Newspapers of St. Louis and the World Through the Centuries at the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association"?
 
Like all of Mercantile's major exhibits, the scope of this massive display is overwhelming, so give yourself plenty of time to do it justice. Beginning on the west side of the lower level with a mock printing office from the eighteenth century, the exhibit covers a chronological look at newspapers in general and, eventually, specific to the St. Louis area. Pick up a free copy of the "Exhibition Checklist" to better understand what you are looking at and then feast on the variety of printed material on display. Don't miss the first known issue of the Missouri Gazette, the oldest newspaper printed west of the Mississippi, and an issue of the Pennsylvania Ledger, from 13 July 1776, which contains the first printing of the Declaration of Independence in a newspaper. Learn about ethnic and specialty papers in St. Louis, about comics and photojournalism, and about some of the famous journalists who lived and worked in St. Louis. Reflect on how history has been captured in headlines for hundreds of years, while you marvel at the treasures being preserved at the library. Remember that Mercantile Library is the oldest library west of the Mississippi River.

"The Headlines of History" will run through the rest of this year and into late summer 2019. The Mercantile Library is located within the Thomas Jefferson Library on the north campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The newspaper exhibit is free during library hours: Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 8:00 p.m. (If you are planning to research, however, hours are more restricted. Click here for complete information.) Parking is available in the West Parking Garage. There are a limited number of spaces designated for the library, but if those are filled, you can obtain a daily parking pass for a nominal fee. Get directions and information about parking by clicking here.

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 StLGS projects director, Carol Whitton, had some good points to make about last week's blog entry. She wanted to remind everyone that neither the DAR Revolutionary War Index nor Find a Grave are complete. Carol said the DAR index "includes those who have been proven by a DAR member." There are separate officers' indexes in book form, which might have provided more thorough information. Also, there may be more burials in the West Point cemetery than what is shown on Find a Grave, including those without stones. So while it is unlikely that the officer mentioned in the family story was actually Ted's ancestor, there are still a few more steps that he might take to prove it.