Happy new year from everyone working on the New Jersey Digital Newspaper Project! 2018 was a productive year for the NJDNP and we hope to publish many more exciting posts on our blog in 2019. In the spirit of the holiday, we would like to share a few New Year’s related snippets from our historic newspapers. You will find that Father Time and Baby New Year are reoccurring characters who enthusiastically welcome the upcoming 365 days.
As can be seen in the advertisements above, many local businesses used the new year as an opportunity to thank their loyal patrons. More examples can be seen below.
What New Year’s celebration would be complete without a robust resolution? As is illustrated in the editorial cartoons below, making a new year’s resolution was just as culturally significant a century ago as it is today. However, one will find far fewer references to gym memberships in our historical newspapers.
Start 2019 on the right foot with the NJDNP and Chronicling America. If you find any interesting New Year’s related images, advertisements, or articles then feel free to share them with us in the comments below. And if you are still looking for a fulfilling resolution, subscribe to our mailing list for a year of stimulating news from the past!
(Contributed by Giovanna Ligato-Pugliese and Jacob Paul)