1948 Archive of 100+ Articles on War-Torn Europe and the London Olympics, Written and Compiled by a Great California Journalist, Publisher and Businessman

On offer is a one of a kind collection of over one hundred articles covering the state of war-torn Europe and the London Olympics, compiled into an unpublished book that the author has titled, "The Land Of Our Ancestors". 

The author of these articles is Telford Work (1896-1992). Among other things, Work was a dynamic and cutting-edge businessman who made huge changes to the world of newspaper publishing. He is best known as the one-time publisher of Los Angeles Daily Journal, founder of the California Newspaper Service Bureau and City News Service, a Los Angeles Civic Center wire service. To learn more about Telford Work, see BIO NOTES at end of listing.

In these compiled articles, Work identifies himself as a City News Service Correspondent. All of these articles are written between July 4 and October 1, 1948. During this time, Work chronicles a trip he is taking across Europe, where he covers the 1948 Olympics, and keenly observes the state of Europe in the years immediately following the war. 

While this trip was intended for pleasure, it was obviously a working holiday. He wrote nearly daily, sometimes more than once a day. He wrote in diary style. Each entry contains his observations about his travel to the 1948 London Olympics plus further trips to Holland, France, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, many parts of England, and while at sea.

Work submitted the articles contained within this collection to various American news outlets as “daily newsletters” and many of them were published. Notably, the Whittier News published his submissions as “daily stories” over the course of his trip. The first article they published was from July 13, 1948, the final published October 15, 1948. Importantly they were not published in order. The Oct 15 article, for example, was from September 11, when Work was writing from Ireland. 

Work's writings have a “for-the-folks-and-friends back home” feel and the entire read makes for a keen eyed look at war torn Europe and the mix of politics and sport of the day. This piece of journalistic history would be an asset to anyone interested in early 20th century journalism, post-war Europe, or Olympic history. 

The manuscript covers are original paper wraps bound with two tacks in this 8.5 x 11 in. approx. Typewritten with a few handwritten corrections and his holograph name and address on the first page. Some bending and age toning. Normal wear. Overall Good. [This listing was re-researched and re-written in 2025].

BIO NOTES: Telford Work was born in Colorado and later settled in Venice, California, where his father founded and built Venice High School. He attended the University of Southern California (USC). Work had a long career in the newspaper business. He was editor of Trench and Camp, a weekly newspaper co-sponsored by the YMCA and LA Times during World War I. He later purchased the Parlier Progress newspaper when he moved there with his wife, Ada, after the war. He later added to his Cooperative Newspaper Union by purchasing the Selma Enterprise, Alta Advocate, Sanger Times and the Del Ray Enterprise. He established Pacific Palisades first newspaper, The Palisadian. From 1941-1954, Work was an owner of the City News Service, a Los Angeles civic center wire service and a publisher of the LA Daily Journal. In the 1970s he spent 10 yeas as publisher of the Baja Californian in La Paz. He participated actively in the CNPA, the National Newspaper Association, the American Newspaper Publishers' Association, the Association of Court and Commercial Newspapers and the Inter-American Press Association. Other achievements included winning the NNA's prestigious Amos Award in recognition of his success at making legal advertising into "legitimate advertising instead of just a ritual of printing notices just because the law says they must be printed."