1881 Nast "King Log King Stork," Niagara Winter, Great Thaw Floods, Winchester Cathedral — Mar 5
$38.88
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1881 Nast "King Log King Stork," Niagara Winter, Great Thaw Floods, Winchester Cathedral — Mar 5
📜 ABOUT THIS PIECE OF HISTORY 📜
This March 5, 1881 issue of Harper's Weekly — published on the eve of President Garfield's inauguration — is a particularly rich number delivering two Thomas Nast illustrations, the frozen majesty of Niagara Falls in winter, the dramatic aftermath of the great thaw floods, and the soaring Gothic splendor of Winchester Cathedral. For collectors of Thomas Nast, American natural wonders, Victorian architecture, and Gilded Age Americana, this issue is an outstanding and visually powerful primary source.
🎨 FULL FRONT PAGE — THOMAS NAST: "FISHERY FIGURES"
The full front page delivers a Thomas Nast illustration titled "Fishery Figures" — a characteristically layered Nast commentary on the political and economic disputes surrounding American fishing rights and international maritime negotiations, rendered with his signature blend of allegory, humor, and political precision. A fully displayable Nast original for collectors of American political cartooning and Gilded Age diplomatic history.
🐸 FULL PAGE — THOMAS NAST: "KING LOG AND KING STORK"
A second full-page Thomas Nast illustration — "King Log and King Stork" — makes this one of the prized double-Nast issues in the 1881 run. Drawing on Aesop's famous fable of the frogs who asked Jupiter for a king, Nast deploys the allegory with devastating precision to comment on the political failures and false choices of Gilded Age governance — the choice between a do-nothing leader and a tyrannical one. A sophisticated and historically resonant piece of American political illustration that rewards close reading. Two full Nast images in a single issue substantially elevates the collectible value for Nast enthusiasts.
🌊 "NIAGARA IN WINTER DRESS"
A full-page illustration of Niagara Falls in the deep of winter — ice-encrusted cliffs, frozen mist, and the great falls themselves partly locked in ice while still thundering through the frozen landscape — one of the most awe-inspiring natural spectacles on earth rendered at its most dramatic and otherworldly seasonal moment. A stunning and fully displayable piece of great appeal to collectors of American natural wonders, Niagara Falls history, and Victorian landscape illustration.
🌊 "THE GREAT THAW — DAMAGE DONE BY FLOODS OF WATER AND RIVERS OF ICE"
A dramatic full-page illustration documenting the catastrophic flooding and ice damage unleashed by the great thaw of early 1881 — rivers and bays breaking up in masses of grinding ice, bridges and buildings battered, communities inundated, the landscape transformed by the violent transition from the deep freeze of January to the sudden warmth of early spring. A vivid primary source document of American weather and disaster history.
⛪ DOUBLE-PAGE CENTERFOLD — "ENGLISH CHURCH ARCHITECTURE NO. 14: WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL"
The visual centerpiece of the issue is a sweeping double-page centerfold devoted to Winchester Cathedral — one of the longest and most magnificent medieval cathedrals in the world, the burial place of English kings and the seat of one of England's oldest bishoprics. Rendered in meticulous woodblock detail, this centerfold captures the cathedral's extraordinary nave, intricate Gothic stonework, and centuries of accumulated grandeur. The fourteenth in Harper's Weekly's celebrated series of English church architecture engravings — a fully displayable architectural masterpiece for collectors of Victorian ecclesiastical illustration and British history.
🖼️ PORTRAITS
Three small portraits document notable American political figures:
"The Late Hon. Fernando Wood" — the controversial former Mayor of New York City and Congressman, whose long career spanned the Civil War and Reconstruction eras
"The Hon. S.B. Maxey, Texas" — the distinguished Texas senator and Confederate general turned Reconstruction-era statesman
"The Hon. H.E. Jackson, Tennessee" — the Tennessee congressman and future U.S. circuit judge, later appointed to the Supreme Court by President Cleveland
🔍 CONDITION & TRANSPARENCY 🔍
Completeness: Complete 16-page issue.
Authenticity: Guaranteed original woodblock printing from March 5, 1881 — not a reproduction.
Condition Report: Presents well for its 144-year age. Natural toning to the newsprint consistent with age. Both Nast illustrations, the Niagara winter engraving, the great thaw full page, and the Winchester Cathedral 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, Thomas Nast King Log King Stork, Thomas Nast Fishery Figures, Niagara Falls Winter Engraving, Great Thaw Flood Damage 1881, Winchester Cathedral Architecture, Fernando Wood Portrait, Gilded Age Political Cartoon, Victorian Natural Wonder Illustration, Winchester Cathedral Centerfold, Antique Newspaper 1881, 19th Century Americana, Thomas Nast Double Issue, American Flood History 1881, Victorian Church Architecture Print
1881 Nast "King Log King Stork," Niagara Winter, Great Thaw Floods, Winchester Cathedral — Mar 5
$38.88