The Yellow Journalism of Yesteryear

I spent my first four, non-orientation hours on the library job today, which consisted mostly of re-sleeving and alphabetizing the collection of broadside ballads I'll be working with. This sounds dull, and it mostly was. But . . .

My supervisor has it in mind that I might be able to not only make a searchable database for this collection, but also turn it into an in-house publication with an introductory essay. Eeeexcellent.

And another excellent thing about today were many of the titles I came across, including

1. "Jeff Davis in Petticoats"
2. "Hoops: What a Silly Fashion!"
3. "Beware the Pope!"

. . . and, today's favorite:
"The Return of Mrs. Brigham Young," a ballad about a man whose wife eloped with Brigham Young and then returned, years later, with a gaggle of children. (One of the staff librarians notes that this sounds like a great title for a really weird horror flick. Maybe Joe Bob Briggs could do the DVD commentary.)

For a fan of the Weekly World News like Yours Truly, this stuff is just fantastic.