February is Black History Month and we thought we would discuss the first African American owned newspaper in California.
That newspaper in California was the “Mirror of the Times” in San Francisco. The first edition was published on October 31, 1856 and was published weekly. The first editors were Mifflin W. Gibbs and Jonas H. Townsend. The idea for the newspaper grew out of ideas and concerns expressed at what was called the California Colored Citizens’ State Convention, was held at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church at 715 Seventh Street in Sacramento in November 1855. This was the first formal convention held in California for the advocation of civil rights for People of Color.
Gibbs’ time with the newspaper was short-lived as the small gold rush in British Columbia in the late 1850s drew him north in 1858. Gibbs would later practice law in the 1870s and was appointed U.S. Consul to Madagascar in 1897. The Mirror of the Times newspaper continued in San Francisco under the new name the Pacific Appeal and was published weekly until June 1880.
In this video, Jared letterpress printed the name of the newspaper in 72 point Caslon, a close font style to the newspaper's masthead. The Mirror of the Times was printed using an iron hand press much like our Washington hand press in our print shop exhibit.
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