1874 Arctic Bear Hunt, NJ Veterans Reunion, Nast, Harper's Weekly — Aug 8
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🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · August 8, 1874
Complete Issue + Supplement Pages · New York
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A visually varied issue combining Thomas Nast political cartoons on both front and back pages, dramatic European warfare scenes, an American veterans reunion, a country hotel comedy spread, and a supplement containing two exquisite Italian street boy portraits from paintings — plus a spectacular full-page Arctic bear hunt scene.
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🖼️ THE FRONT PAGE
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✏️ FULL FRONT PAGE — THOMAS NAST: "THE MERE SHADOW HAS STILL SOME BACKBONE"
A Thomas Nast political cartoon leading the entire front page — one of his pointed Gilded Age commentaries on political power and persistence. Nast on the front page is always a strong selling point.
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🖼️ INSIDE THE ISSUE
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🎖️ HALF PAGE — "REUNION OF VETERANS AT PATERSON, N.J."
A half-page street scene documenting a Civil War veterans reunion in Paterson, New Jersey — a warm and historically significant piece of post-war Americana capturing the Gilded Age veterans' reunion movement in full swing.
🎭 FULL PAGE — "SKETCHES AT OUR HOTEL IN THE COUNTRY"
A comic full-page spread of humorous scenes from a Victorian country hotel — the characters, mishaps, and social theater of a Gilded Age summer resort. Lively and entertaining genre illustration.
⚔️ EUROPEAN WARFARE SCENES
Dramatic illustrations of military conflict in Europe, including:
· **"Italy — A Skirmish at Alessandria"** — a cavalry skirmish scene in northern Italy
· **"The Best Way to Make War in Madrid"** — a sardonic look at street warfare in Spain during the tumultuous Carlist Wars period
🎉 FULL PAGE — "THE COLUMBIA BOYS — GRAND RECEPTION IN NEW YORK"
Three scenes documenting the grand New York reception for the Columbia crew — the celebrated college rowing team — capturing the Gilded Age's enthusiasm for collegiate athletics and public ceremony.
✏️ BACK PAGE — THOMAS NAST POLITICAL CARTOON
A second Nast cartoon on the back page — giving this issue Nast on both front and back, a notable double.
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🐻 THE SUPPLEMENT
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🧊 FULL PAGE — "THE WOUNDED BEAR HUNT — SCENE IN THE ARCTIC"
A dramatic and spectacular full-page illustration of Arctic hunters confronting a wounded polar bear in a snowstorm — heavily furred figures in a swirling, atmospheric scene of danger and wilderness. A powerful and eminently frameable piece of Victorian adventure illustration.
🎨 TWO PORTRAITS — "ITALIAN BOYS" (from paintings by Helen Reignier)
Two beautifully rendered supplement portraits engraved from paintings by Helen Reignier:
· **"Halt"** — a young Italian street boy in a wide-brimmed hat, leaning wearily against a wall, rendered with extraordinary tenderness and detail
· **"Piccolo"** — a standing boy in worn, tattered clothes, his expression alert and dignified
Both are exquisite examples of Victorian genre portraiture at its finest — the kind of illustrations that collectors frame and display as standalone art pieces.
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📋 CONDITION
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I photograph every page of every issue so you can inspect the condition closely before purchasing. Please review all images carefully and don't hesitate to ask any questions — I'm happy to provide additional detail or close-up shots of any page, illustration, or area of concern before you buy.
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📌 DETAILS
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Publication ········ Harper's Weekly
Date ··············· August 8, 1874
City ··············· New York
Item Number ········ 173850
Pages ·············· Complete · 16 pages + Supplement
Format ············· Illustrated folio newspaper
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📦 SHIPPING & PRESERVATION
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• Housed in an acid-free archival folder with Mylar overlay to protect the 151-year-old newsprint
• Flat-shipped with heavy-duty reinforcement to ensure safe arrival of the supplement pages
• Fully tracked for your peace of mind
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🔍 SEO TAGS
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1874 Arctic Bear Hunt, NJ Veterans Reunion, Nast, Harper's Weekly — Aug 8
$39.99