My parents were kids during the 1930s Great Depression. In the "Crash of 1929," thousands of banks across the US failed, wiping out the life savings of millions. Unemployment soared to unimaginable heights. Families struggled throughout the economic crisis, and did anything they could to put food on the table. My father's family was particularly hard hit when their father died suddenly at the age of 52, leaving my 35-year-old grandmother from Ireland with two teenage boys to raise alone. My dad was 12 at the time; his older brother Jack, just 15.
A few months after their father's death, the boys decided the best way to raise money would be to publish a newspaper. The Foreign Observer was published "fortnightly," cost two cents, and was "an independent newspaper devoted exclusively to the review of foreign news." Our uncle, John (Jack) Butler, was the Editor, and Dad was Assistant Editor. Shown here are three issues from 1937.
On these early editions, check out the tiny handwriting and miniscule illustrations they created. The map of London shows the route of the Royal Coronation of King George VI (from the movie "The King's Speech"). Dad signed the plane illustration when he was 13 years old.
Copies of The Foreign Observer were printed on a hand-cranked mimeograph machine. The brothers reported on the rise of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and the hostilities throughout Europe leading up to World War II. On the lighter side, they reported news of Harold Vanderbilt's racing yacht "Ranger" winning the America's Cup. Interesting tidbits also appeared—like "Swearing has been prohibited in the Italian Army”
As events around the world escalated, The Foreign Observer became a weekly and was renamed The Globe. From Shakespeare's “Hamlet,” "Report Me and My Cause Aright" inspired a new tagline. Type replaced handwritten editions, and their friend Edward Meany became the new Associate Editor.
An ambitious enterprise for two teenage boys and a job well done. With great admiration—here’s to you Dad and Uncle Jack!
Peter Butler
Ed. Pat Butler
