As a journalist, looking at old newspapers excites me. I love looking at the typeface used and the old photographs placed on the paper’s yellowing pages. But perhaps most of all, I love learning about the history of the publication.

While I was sipping on some white wine at Cooper Union during Ada Calhoun’s book party, I saw this page from the April 14, 1883 edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper on the wall. It caught my eye because of all the intricate drawings featured on the page, ironically of students working in several art-related classes.

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper was a pictorial publication started by illustrator and publisher Frank Leslie. It ran from 1852 to 1922.

The paper featured articles by figures such as Louisa May Alcott, Ellis Parker, and Helen R. Martin. Well known illustrators for the paper included Norman Rockwell and Albert Berghaus.

Many of the pages from this publication are collectors items that sell for about $500 a page. The paper is a very interesting way to convey powerful news stories.

Learn more about the illustrated newspaper here.