{"product_id":"1861-vassar-college-sam-houston-harpers-weekly-march-30-new-orleans","title":"1861 Vassar College Sam Houston Harper's Weekly March 30 New Orleans","description":"This March 30, 1861, issue of Harper's Weekly offers a fascinating juxtaposition of everyday American life and the accelerating machinery of war. From the founding of a legendary educational institution to the testing of massive coastal artillery, this issue captures a nation still attempting to focus on progress while preparing for the inevitable.\n\n​Title: 1861 Vassar College Sam Houston Harper's Weekly March 30 New Orleans\n\n\n​📜 ABOUT THIS PIECE OF HISTORY 📜\n​📜 The Birth of Vassar: This issue features a beautiful full-page spread with three vignettes of the newly established Vassar Female College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded by Matthew Vassar, it was a groundbreaking moment for women's higher education in America. These prints show the impressive Main Building as it looked at the very beginning of its history.\n​📜 Sam Houston \u0026amp; the Texas Crisis: Included is a significant portrait of General Sam Houston, the Governor of Texas. At the time of this publication, Houston—a staunch Unionist—had just been deposed from office for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. This print captures the legendary \"Old San Jacinto\" at one of the most defiant moments of his life.\n​🌟 FEATURED HIGHLIGHTS 🌟\n​📐 Engineering \u0026amp; Education:\n​Cooper Union: A portrait of philanthropist Peter Cooper (at age 71) and a view of the Cooper Union in New York City. This institution had recently hosted Abraham Lincoln for the \"Right Makes Might\" speech that helped propel him to the presidency.\n​The Big Columbiad: Detailed prints of \"The Fifteen-Inch Columbiad\" and the testing of this massive gun at Fort Monroe, Virginia. These \"Rodman guns\" were the peak of military technology and were vital to Union coastal defense.\n​🌆 New Orleans (The Crescent City):\n​A multi-print page featuring the unique character of New Orleans, including the French Quarter, the busy Levee, and Lafayette Square. These illustrations provided Northern readers with a visual tour of the South's most important commercial hub just as it moved into the Confederate fold.\n​🗺️ Cartography:\n​A two-thirds page \"Map of the Coast Line From the Mouths of the Mississippi to Pensacola.\" This map was essential for readers to understand the geography of the looming naval blockade and the strategic importance of the Gulf Coast.\n​🤡 April Fool's Day:\n​The full front page is a lighthearted genre print: \"April Fool's Day In New York, Opposite the Astor House,\" showing the classic mid-19th-century pranks played on the busy city streets.\n​🗞️ LITERARY \u0026amp; SATIRICAL CONTENT 🗞️\n​Charles Dickens: Continued serialization of \"Great Expectations.\"\n​Political Cartoons: The back page features three sharp cartoons, reflecting the cynical humor of a public waiting for the first shoe to drop in the sectional conflict.\n​🔍 CONDITION \u0026amp; TRANSPARENCY 🔍\n​Completeness: This is the complete 16-page issue, including the original front page and the full Vassar College feature.\n​Authenticity: Guaranteed original woodblock printing from March 30, 1861, not a modern reproduction.\n​Condition Report: I take pictures of the entire sheet so you can study the condition personally. The Sam Houston portrait and the Vassar prints are exceptionally clear.\n​🥂 WHY IT IS A MUST-HAVE 🥂\n​Vassar \u0026amp; Education Collectors: An essential founding document for Vassar College alumni and historians of women's education.\n​Texas \u0026amp; Sam Houston Enthusiasts: A rare contemporary portrait of Houston during his final political stand.\n​New York City Historians: Features a wonderful look at Cooper Union and a charming scene of 1861 street life at the Astor House.\n​Custom Framing: I offer professional framing for any item in my shop. The Vassar College vignettes or the Peter Cooper portrait would make a museum-quality historical focal point!\n​📦 SHIPPING \u0026amp; PRESERVATION 📦\n​Safe Storage: Housed in an acid-free archival folder with a Mylar overlay to protect the 165-year-old newsprint.\n​Flat Shipping: Shipped with heavy-duty reinforcement to ensure the issue arrives safely.\n​Tracked: All orders include tracking for your peace of mind.\n​🏷️ TAGS (SEO) 🏷️\n​1861 Harpers Weekly, Vassar Female College, Sam Houston Texas, New Orleans French Quarter, Peter Cooper Cooper Union, 15-Inch Columbiad Fort Monroe, Mississippi Pensacola Map, April Fools Day 1861, March 30 1861.\n​","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52264020082908,"sku":null,"price":71.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0849\/4759\/9580\/files\/fcedc132-il_fullxfull.7767424606_bdnh.jpg?v=1786496703","url":"https:\/\/thekeenantiquarian.com\/products\/1861-vassar-college-sam-houston-harpers-weekly-march-30-new-orleans","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}