1881 Garfield Inauguration, Hayes Farewell, Nast Citizen Soldier, Vet College — Mar 12
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1881 Garfield Inauguration, Hayes Farewell, Nast Citizen Soldier, Vet College — Mar 12
📜 ABOUT THIS PIECE OF HISTORY 📜
This March 12, 1881 issue of Harper's Weekly is a primary source document of one of the most significant moments in Gilded Age American history — the inauguration of President James A. Garfield and the farewell of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Published just one week after the historic transfer of power, this issue captures the ceremony, the symbolism, and the political atmosphere of the moment with the full resources of Harper's Weekly's finest illustrators, including Thomas Nast. For collectors of presidential history, Garfield assassination history, Thomas Nast, and Gilded Age Americana, this is an exceptional and historically irreplaceable issue.
🎨 FULL FRONT PAGE — "GREETING AND FAREWELL"
The full front page delivers a sweeping allegorical illustration — "Greeting and Farewell" — representing the retiring administration of President Rutherford B. Hayes passing the mantle of power to the newly inaugurated President James A. Garfield. A beautifully composed and historically significant piece capturing the peaceful democratic transfer of power at a pivotal moment in American history. Garfield would be assassinated just four months after this issue was published — making every document of his brief presidency a particularly poignant and sought-after primary source.
🗳️ FULL PAGE — "1877-1881"
A full-page retrospective illustration spanning the entire Hayes administration from 1877 to 1881 — a visual summary of four years of Reconstruction's end, civil service reform, and the contested political landscape of the post-Grant era. A rare and comprehensive single-image document of the Hayes presidency for collectors of presidential history and Reconstruction-era Americana.
🎖️ "POLITICS IN THE OLDEN TIME — GENERAL JACKSON, PRESIDENT ELECT ON HIS WAY TO WASHINGTON"
A full-page historical illustration drawing a deliberate parallel between the inauguration of Andrew Jackson — the original populist president — and the arrival of James Garfield, casting Garfield in the heroic democratic tradition of the frontier general risen to the presidency. A fascinating piece of political mythology-making that reveals how Harper's Weekly framed the new president for its readership.
⚔️ THOMAS NAST — "THE CITIZEN SOLDIER AT THE INAUGURATION OF GENERAL GARFIELD"
A full-page Thomas Nast illustration celebrating the inauguration of General James A. Garfield — the last President of the United States to be born in a log cabin and a celebrated Civil War general — through the lens of the citizen soldier tradition that Nast championed throughout his career. One of the most historically significant Nast illustrations of 1881, this image documents the inauguration of a president who would be dead within the year, making it a primary source of particular poignancy and collectible weight.
🐾 DOUBLE-PAGE CENTERFOLD — "THE AMERICAN VETERINARY COLLEGE, NEW YORK — HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT"
The double-page centerfold presents a detailed documentary engraving of the American Veterinary College in New York City — its hospital department, facilities, faculty, and the clinical work being conducted within. A rare and fascinating primary source document of the history of American veterinary medicine and scientific education in the Gilded Age, of exceptional interest to collectors of medical history, veterinary history, and the history of American higher education.
🏠 "THE OLD CHIMNEY CORNER"
A warm and nostalgic half-page illustration of the old chimney corner — a beloved Victorian motif of domestic warmth, memory, and the passing of the old ways in the face of modernization — rendered with the sentimental beauty that Harper's Weekly's genre illustrators brought to American hearth and home.
🖼️ PORTRAITS
Three small portraits document notable American political figures of the era:
"The Late Hon. Matthew H. Carpenter, Wisconsin" — the distinguished Wisconsin senator and celebrated constitutional lawyer whose death in 1881 marked the end of a towering Reconstruction-era legal career
"The Hon. Charles H. Van Wyck, Nebraska" — the Nebraska senator and Union general, a fierce advocate for farmers and against railroad monopoly
"The Hon. John I. Mitchell, Pennsylvania" — the Pennsylvania congressman and future senator
🔍 CONDITION & TRANSPARENCY 🔍
Completeness: Complete 16-page issue.
Authenticity: Guaranteed original woodblock printing from March 12, 1881 — not a reproduction.
Condition Report: Presents well for its 144-year age. Natural toning to the newsprint consistent with age. The Garfield inauguration front page, the Nast citizen soldier illustration, the Hayes retrospective, the Jackson historical print, and the veterinary college centerfold are all clear and displayable.
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.
📦 SHIPPING & PRESERVATION 📦
Housed in an acid-free archival folder with Mylar overlay to protect the 144-year-old newsprint
Flat-shipped with heavy-duty reinforcement to ensure safe arrival of the centerfold
Fully tracked for your peace of mind
🏷️ TAGS
1881 Harpers Weekly, Garfield Inauguration 1881, Hayes Farewell Garfield Greeting, Thomas Nast Citizen Soldier Garfield, American Veterinary College New York, Andrew Jackson President Elect Illustration, Presidential Inauguration Primary Source, 1877 1881 Hayes Administration, Matthew Carpenter Wisconsin Portrait, Gilded Age Presidential History, Antique Newspaper 1881, 19th Century Americana, James Garfield Harper's Weekly, Rutherford Hayes Farewell, Victorian American Political History Sonnet 4.6
1881 Garfield Inauguration, Hayes Farewell, Nast Citizen Soldier, Vet College — Mar 12
$38.88