1881 Nast, Pittsburgh Flood, Quebec Fire, Electric Railway, Roman Villa Malta — Jul 2
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1881 Nast, Pittsburgh Flood, Quebec Fire, Electric Railway, Roman Villa Malta — Jul 2
📜 ABOUT THIS PIECE OF HISTORY 📜
This July 2, 1881 issue of Harper's Weekly — published on the very day President Garfield was shot by an assassin — is a remarkable and historically charged document capturing the world just before that catastrophic event changed American history. It delivers Thomas Nast's political commentary, the Pittsburgh flood, the great Quebec fire, one of the earliest illustrations of an electric railway in the American press, and a newly discovered Roman villa on Malta. For collectors of Thomas Nast, Gilded Age disaster history, early electric railway history, Canadian history, and 19th-century Americana, this issue carries both exceptional content and extraordinary historical weight.
🎨 FULL FRONT PAGE — THOMAS NAST
The full front page delivers a Thomas Nast political illustration — published on the very morning that President James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station in Washington, D.C. By the time this issue reached most readers, the nation was already in shock over the assassination attempt that would keep Garfield clinging to life for eleven weeks before his death on September 19, 1881. This front page — Nast's last published before the shooting that changed everything — carries a particular historical poignancy and weight that makes it a uniquely significant document for collectors of Garfield history and American presidential history.
🌊 "THE PITTSBURGH FLOOD"
A half-page illustration documenting the flooding that struck Pittsburgh — the industrial powerhouse of the American interior, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers met the Ohio at the heart of the nation's steel economy. Pittsburgh's floods were among the most economically devastating natural events of the Gilded Age, paralyzing the mills, ironworks, and river commerce that drove the city's extraordinary growth. A primary source document of Pittsburgh history and American industrial disaster history.
🔥 "THE GREAT FIRE AT QUEBEC"
A full page containing three illustrations documenting the catastrophic fire that swept through Quebec City — one of the most severe urban fires in Canadian history, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving thousands homeless. Three scenes capture the scale of the conflagration, the efforts of firefighters, and the devastation left in its wake — a vivid primary source document of Canadian disaster history and Victorian urban fire reporting.
⚡ "AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY"
A one-third page illustration of an electric railway — one of the earliest appearances of this transformative technology in the American illustrated press. The electric streetcar was just beginning its revolutionary journey in 1881, and this illustration documents the technology at the very dawn of its existence — years before it would reshape American cities and suburbs. A rare and historically significant primary source document of early electric transportation history, of exceptional interest to collectors of technology history, railway history, and the history of American urban infrastructure.
🏠 "THE ALCYONE BOAT HOUSE, BAY RIDGE, LONG ISLAND"
A half-page illustration of the Alcyone Boat House at Bay Ridge, Long Island — a charming document of Gilded Age leisure culture and the fashionable summer boating life that drew New York society to the shores of Long Island Sound and the upper bay.
🏛️ "A ROMAN VILLA, RECENTLY DISCOVERED AT MALTA"
A one-third page illustration of a Roman villa recently unearthed on the island of Malta — a fascinating document of 19th-century archaeological discovery in the Mediterranean, capturing the moment when a buried chapter of Roman history emerged from the Maltese soil to astonish the scholarly world.
🎖️ "THE CHICKASAW GUARDS AND THEIR ARMORY, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE"
A one-third page illustration of the Chickasaw Guards — one of Memphis's most distinguished militia companies — and their armory, documenting the proud military tradition of the post-Reconstruction South and the role of local militia organizations in Southern civic life.
🐴 "ENOUGH TO MAKE A HORSE LAUGH"
A two-thirds page comic illustration — "Enough to Make a Horse Laugh" — delivering the kind of warm, observational humor that Harper's Weekly's genre illustrators brought to the lighter side of American life with characteristic charm and timing.
🔍 CONDITION & TRANSPARENCY 🔍
Completeness: Complete 16-page issue.
Authenticity: Guaranteed original woodblock printing from July 2, 1881 — not a reproduction.
Condition Report: Presents well for its 144-year age. Natural toning to the newsprint consistent with age. The Nast front page, the Quebec fire illustrations, the Pittsburgh flood print, the electric railway illustration, and the Roman villa image 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
Fully tracked for your peace of mind
🏷️ TAGS
1881 Harpers Weekly, Pittsburgh Flood 1881, Quebec Great Fire 1881, Electric Railway Early History, Thomas Nast Garfield Assassination Day, Roman Villa Malta Discovery, Alcyone Boat House Bay Ridge, Chickasaw Guards Memphis, Canadian Fire Disaster 1881, Early Electric Transportation History, Garfield Assassination July 2 1881, Antique Newspaper 1881, 19th Century Americana, Pittsburgh Industrial History, Victorian Disaster IllustrationSonnet 4.6
1881 Nast, Pittsburgh Flood, Quebec Fire, Electric Railway, Roman Villa Malta — Jul 2
$38.88