Rare find: First issue of Morgunblaðið from 1913 discovered in excellent condition
Kjartan Friðrik Adolfsson with a copy of the first issue of Morgunblaðið, which was printed in 1913. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
While sorting through his late father’s belongings, Kjartan Friðrik Adólfsson, chief accountant at the Grindavík town office, made an extraordinary discovery: a copy of the very first issue of Morgunblaðið , dated November 2, 1913. Now 112 years old, the newspaper is surprisingly well preserved.
An unexpected treasure
“I found it quite remarkable,” Adólfsson told mbl.is . “I kept looking it over again and again to be sure. But after comparing it to other known copies, I’m convinced this really is an original issue from Morgunblaðið ’s first year.”
Adólfsson explained that while his parents were devoted newspaper subscribers—“like most people of their time,” he said—his father was born in 1930, long after the paper’s initial publication. The family lived in the Westman Islands until the volcanic eruption of 1973 forced them to relocate to Grindavík. “I never suspected he had this copy,” he said.
The newspaper contains various entertaining advertisements. Here is an ad from the store Egill Jacobsen advertising clothes and fabrics. "Remember that it is because of my large trade turnover that I can sell so cheaply." Photo/Sent to mbl.is
Almost thrown away by accident
The discovery came while Adólfsson was searching for another old newspaper, the first issue of Dagblaðið Vísir (DV) . “We were going through the estate, and when we had almost finished, we were about to throw the rest away,” he recalled. “Then I noticed a plastic folder tucked in the back of a book. Inside was what I thought was DV , but when I opened it, it turned out to be Morgunblaðið —and not just any issue, but the very first one.”
Well preserved after over a century
What’s most surprising is the excellent condition of the paper. “I have no idea where he got it,” said Adólfsson. “It was folded twice—once in half, then in half again—and stored in a regular plastic sleeve. That’s why I find it so incredible that it's this well preserved. Only one page has slight wrinkling.”
He now stores the paper carefully in a cupboard at home and handles it with great care. “It’s like gold to me,” he says.
A glimpse into the past
The first issue of Morgunblaðið was published on a Sunday and consisted of eight pages—double the weekday count of four. “The advertisements and announcements are especially fun to read,” Adólfsson noted. “There’s even an engagement announcement and, on page two, a list of public taxes or local fees.”
Among the charming historical details is the editor’s phone number listed on the front page: simply “500.” Vilhjálmur Finsen, the first editor and co-founder of Morgunblaðið , would have used that number to field calls at the time.
Adólfsson’s discovery offers a rare and tangible connection to Iceland’s media history—one that nearly ended up in the trash, but now serves as a cherished relic of the past.
Vilhjálmur Finsen, the first editor of Morgunblaðið.
