This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 22 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Pittsburgh Dispatch
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Date
Nov 10, 1889
Page
2
Edward W. Bos claims three years of research uncovering how famous authors chose pen names. The article covers living writers and promises exhaustive insights into why authors conceal identities and the origins of notable noms de plume like Mark Twain.
The author explains her nom de plume arose from her mother’s naming, Grace, and the second name Greenwood chosen years later for alliterative fit. She recalls Miss Grace Ingersoll’s history, family delays at christening, and how the pen name first appeared in the Home Journal of Morris & Willis.
Epaan Winson Nr. explains how the nom de plume Bill Nye arose from unsigned early work in a Rocky Mountain territorial paper. He rejects the image of a dangerous criminal tied to the name and argues his aim is to challenge errors and improve society through plain, lawful discourse.
A condensed account traces Saint Josquin and Saint Ann de Boupere legends, notes Joaquin Murrieta’s California exploits and rewards, and describes how the poet Joaquin Miller claimed or denied identity with the outlaw. It sketches cross currents of rumor, poetry, and frontier justice in early American West narratives.
The reminiscence recalls the origins of Mrs Partington the enduring comic figure created by an accidental remark about flour prices. The narrative traces how a stray line copied widely, turning a playful moment into a public character with a lasting name and public favor.
Margaret Hungerford explains how she acquired the nom de plume The Duchess during her early writing days. She recalls an at home gathering where a friend announced her as Her Grace The Duchess and the nickname stuck as a playful, personal joke. She denies death or sale of the pen name.
The piece explains how William T Adams used the pen name Oliver Optic, detailing his origins and the literary circle that supported his temperance and literary efforts. It notes his involvement with the Roxbury or Boston literary scene and references essays and poems under that alias.
A writer recalls choosing the pseudonym Thanet while traveling by train from Boston to Chicago. He saw chalked letters on a freight car and considered Isle of Thanet or French origins, then used part of his roommate’s name and the rest from Octave.
Partial readable text hints at a historical name or event connected to a published issue. The fragment mentions a person or term Octave Than Axice Frewon and a vague “ab lis” in connection with a published matter. Details are insufficient for a full factual summary.
Manretta HoLiey explains why she chose the nom de plume Josiah Allen's Wife and how the plain sensible name suited her characters. She notes weariness of fanciful pen names used by literary women and describes creating the name herself for sturdy, enduring resonance.
In a reflective note Mas, 8. D. Powen explains adopting the name Shirley Dare as a juvenile fashion and its persistence in writing. She recalls editors signing articles with the flamboyant moniker and jokes about readers asking if she is "The woman who Dared."
In 1865 while with my plantation in Louisiana Artemus Ward teased me by calling me Eli Perkins. He described a certain man as an Eli Perkins of a man and thus inspired the nickname I used. MELVILLE D. LAXPON.
Donald G. Mitchell recounts how a printer misread his signature in letters from Washington 1646 47. He adopted Ik Marvel as his pen name, a change he then kept for later books, noting the anecdote as a small but true origin.
The passage explains how Henry Harland adopted the pseudonym Sidney Luska for his Hebrew themed writings. He explains choosing Luska as a Hebrew sounding invented surname to avoid harming his career if the debut failed. The note marks Hesry Harland’s use of the name in As it was Written in 1885.
James Parton recounts how the author chose the pen name Fanny Fern. After drafting her first article she considered signing it with a name and settled on Fanny Fern inspired by her mother and fond country memories.
The author explains adopting her husband’s name to avoid associating her success with failure. She notes her first venture The Wooing O’t, published in Temple Bar in 1872, and that she continued as Mrs. Alexander Hector, dropping the latter.
Charles Follen Adams explains adopting the nom de plume Yaacob Stratuss from the poem Leedle Yawcob Strauss. He notes the German fitting name and its strong association with his work, shaping his literary identity.
In a note by W Locker the Nasby name is traced to Nasbye from the battle of Naseby with only a playful link to the Pennsylvanian petroleum boom and Vesuvius use for euphony. The author says his father offered no other explanation for the pseudonym Nasby.
Fragmentary reminiscence notes a grandfather who served as an officer in a French unit, was taken to England, and met a girl named Miss O in exile. The text references names John Bull and Els a and Paul Blount in a loose wartime memory with unclear chronology and relations.
A C Wheeler discusses how the name Nym Crinkle and the nickname OULDA originate from a relative mispronouncing Louisa. The account explains the creation of a euphonious pseudonym used in the articles.
A New York Dispatch column discusses flirtation as a social pastime for fashionable women, advising tact, restraint, and self focus to avoid genuine entanglements. It also profiles luxurious habits around candle sticks, handkerchiefs, and beauty regimens, and examines the prestige role of the butler in elite households and agency views on employment.
A feature on nautical chanteys from merchant and naval sailors worldwide. The piece traces chanty origins in windlass and capstan work, notes variations by region from Venice to the Nile, cites famous examples like Lowlands and Round the capstan, and quotes observers on improvised verses and the role of song in seafaring labor.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.