Rag Linen is an educational archive of rare and historic newspapers, and features items from a variety of collectors, historians and institutions. The site was the brainchild of Todd And(rlik), a newspaper collector and marketing/media professional who also manages the site. To inquire about purchasing a newspaper (some are for sale), advertising on the site or anything else, feel free to contact Todd at todd[at]raglinen.com or 630-302-8633.

The name Rag Linen has significant meaning in newspaper collecting. Prior to 1870, newspapers were printed on very durable rag linen paper - made from the linen in clothes and ship sails. So newspapers from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars are actually in better condition than yesterday’s newspaper, which is probably already yellow and brittle because it was printed on wood pulp.

The durability of rag linen newspapers from the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s (as well as some institutional-only rag editions from the early 1900s) make them an excellent collectible. Just look at the photos throughout this website – the newspapers are unbelievably well-preserved for being close to 300 years old (and the ink doesn’t rub off on your fingers).

Thanks for browsing and we hope you’ll stop back soon as we’ll be regularly updating the site with unbelievably scarce newspapers.