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How to Get Old Philadelphia Newspapers From the 1940s

Philadelphia has two newspapers that were printing in the 1940s -- the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. The Philadelphia Inquirer began printing in 1829, while the the Philadelphia Daily News began publishing in 1925. There were many other newspapers published in Philadelphia before the 1940s, especially during the Civil War era, but these papers didn't survive. To find copies of old newspapers to purchase, check online auction sites like eBay. To research and make copies of archives of old 1940s papers, you must search the city's library database.

Things You'll Need

  • Philadelphia library card
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Instructions

  1. Online

    • 1

      Go to the Library of Philadelphia's online search page (see Resources).

    • 2

      Search old Philadelphia newspapers from the 1940s in the microfiche database. Navigate to the "Newspapers/Magazines" section toward the bottom of the online search page.

    • 3

      Select one of the database options. Both the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News have been around since before the 1940s.

    • 4

      Enter your library card number and PIN and click "submit."

    • 5

      Enter your search criteria. Enter the year, such as 1940. All archived newspapers from that year will be listed.

    • 6

      Select a paper from the list to open and review it. Print any articles from the archive using your home printer.

    In Person

    • 7

      The Library of Philadelphia has 54 branches within the city. To find a branch nearest you, see Resources.

    • 8

      Search for Philadelphia newspapers printed in the 1940s in the Microfilm room. Ask a librarian to assist you if you have trouble.

    • 9

      Turn on the microfilm reading machine. Insert the end of the microfilm into the mount reel.

    • 10

      Press the reset key to automatically load the film.

    • 11

      Turn the control knob to the "forward" position to view what is on the microfilm. The page of the archived paper will be visible on the screen. Use the forward and reverse positions to move forward or backward through the archive.

    • 12

      Turn the knob to move the markers around the article that you want. Press "print" to copy the article. There is a small fee to print copies at the library.

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