We have digitized The Sumner News Index from 1948 to 1958.

Those years had a feature called the Pictorial Section,  a unique addition to the newspaper. Here is why.

The paper was still being printed with traditional processes. The product of a Linotype and movable metal and wood type. At that time, publishing a photograph was expensive,  an outside firm would have to convert the photo into a printing block.

In 1947, the News Index publisher, Pete Andrews, came up with an inexpensive way to provide many photographs in each issue. He purchased a small offset press and printed a  two sided 10 x 13 inch "collage" of photos which was then inserted into the paper.

It was titled "The Pictorial Section of the Sumner News Index."  Most of the pictures were related to a story in that week's issue.

The first Pictorial was in the October 21, 1948 newspaper. The last was in the May 22, 1958 newspaper. Over 500 Pictorials were run over the span of those eleven years.

In 1958 the paper switched over to offset printing and photographs were no longer an extra expense. They could be used on any page.

A good number of people saved the weekly Pictorials which were later gifted to the Sumner Historical Society. We have many, many, duplicates.

This is your opportunity to purchase an actual Pictorial that may have a special connection to your family history.

Look through our listings. See what you can find.

1948

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER