HaMagid – Two Volumes of Issues – Lyck, 1881-1882

HaMagid. Editor: David Gordon. Printed by Rudolph Siebert, Lyck, 1881-1882. Hebrew and a little Yiddish.
Two volumes: * Vol 1: Year 25, Issues 1-50. Vol. 2: Year 26, Issues 1-11, 15-24, 26-31, 33-44, 46-50.
HaMagid was the first weekly in the history of the Hebrew press. The first issue of HaMagid was published in June 1856 in the city of Lyck in Eastern Prussia [today Ełk in Northeastern Poland]. HaMagid focused on publishing news of world events and happenings in Jewish communities around the world, and also published poems and scientific and publicistic articles. Some of the best 19th century Jewish authors and maskilim wrote for the weekly. These volumes reflect the events of those times, especially the Sufot BaNegev, the 1881 Russian Pogroms and the first stages of the Hibbat Zion movement. Among the writers: Eliezer ben Yehuda, Shlomo Mendelkorn, Nachum Sokolov, Zerach Barnett, Yehuda Leib Levine and others.
Two volumes, 32 cm. Fair condition. Thin brittle paper. Many tears, some coarse tears. Some tears were reinforced with adhesive tape. Stains, creases and folds. Ink-stamps. Few pen and pencil inscriptions. New binding and endpapers.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Israel Mehlman.