Readers of the Abbotsford, Sumas & Matsqui News 100 years ago were given the gift of colour for Christmas, in the Dec. 20th edition.
While the newspaper in its infancy was mostly made up of black-and-white print and hand-drawn graphics, 1923 also included a slow introduction of photographs. But the newspaper worked tirelessly for weeks to create the Christmas edition of The News, and it arrived with a stunning painting in full colour on the front.
The back two pages also included full colour, again as a way to share beautiful paintings. This was the first time the archives show any colour being used in the newspaper, and the pages are what are considered in today’s publishing world as a “wrap,” adding four pages to the usual 10-page paper.
In a fancy, old-time font, the inside front page then announced “Allow This, Our First Annual Xmas Number” between a photo of Abbotsford from 10 years prior and in 1923. While the photos show plenty of changes, the exact location of each image is not noted.
Much time was also spent on stories for the front page. While normally the front page was a grab bag of municipal happenings, movie announcements, deaths and births, this paper had almost-poetic roundups of the importance and beauty of everything in Abbotsford, including transportation, church and even Sumas Mountain.
This all must have been an expensive, and difficult, venture for the publishers of the day. A note to readers on page 8 says, “The publishers are proud of this issue and intend mailing sample copies far and wide.”
The note adds that some may criticize the issue, but to keep the size of staff and limited finances in mind. It also reminded readers that a newspaper is nothing without its advertisers.
“To those who are inclined to commend we would point out that the real credit belongs to the advertisers, for by taking space in this publication before it had its circulation established they displayed a fine community spirit,” it said. “We have merely tried to give it value.”
The regular news coverage began well into the paper, where coverage of the ongoing trouble of the cost of the Sumas Lake drainage project was relayed. The newspaper was really changing its look the last few weeks of the year, with more spaces and lines dividing stories, making it easier to read through.
But mostly, the paper was an overview of where Abbotsford was at the closing of 1923 and how far it had come in the last few decades when it started to take shape.
To read through the archives, visit asmn.arcabc.ca. To look through our stories about the archives from this year, visit us at abbynews.com and search for “100 Years Ago.”
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2023-12-25 16:00:00Z
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