Harper’s Weekly – October 28, 1871 – Complete w/ Supplement (24 pp) | Great Chicago Fire Engravings, Octavius Catto, Nast Cartoon
$130.00
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This is an original, complete issue with supplement of Harper’s Weekly: A Journal of Civilization, dated October 28, 1871 (Vol. XV, No. 774). The issue contains 24 pages in total (16-page main issue + 8-page supplement) and is one of the most significant Harper’s Weekly numbers of the 19th century. It features some of the earliest illustrated accounts of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, making it a highly desirable piece for collectors of American history.
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📖 Highlights & Illustrations:
The Great Chicago Fire (Main Issue):
Front Page: “The Great Fire in Chicago — Group of Refugees in the Street” (engraving by C. S. Reinhart).
Double-Page Centerfold: “Chicago in Ruins” panoramic engraving by Theodore R. Davis.
Full Page: *“Chicago in Flames — Rush for Life Over Randolph Street Bridge.”
Full Page: *“Chicago in Flames — Burning of the Chamber of Commerce.”
Full Page: *“Chicago in Flames — Burning of the Crosby Opera-House.”
Engravings of notable buildings before destruction:* The Tribune Building, The Palmer House, The Shepard Block.
“Burning of the Central Grain Elevators at the Mouth of the Chicago River.”
Article: “Chicago in Ashes” with eyewitness details.
Political Satire & Commentary:
Thomas Nast Cartoon: “A Tammany Torch-Light Procession” lampooning Boss Tweed and New York corruption.
Satire illustrations and news on New York City politics.
Portraits & Notable Figures:
Portrait and article: Octavius V. Catto, prominent Black educator, civil rights activist, and Union League leader who was murdered in Philadelphia during Election Day violence just weeks earlier.
Scene: “Dedication of Soldiers’ Monument, Riverside, Chicago.”
Literary Features:
Serialized fiction: Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins.
Serialized fiction: Lord Kilgobbin by Charles Lever.
Poetry and commentary, including “The Blind Sleeper.”
Supplement (8 pages):
Illustration: “The New City Hall at Detroit, Michigan.”
Engraving: “The Friar’s Music” (group of monks singing and playing music).
Engraving: “The Demolition of Old Buildings in Upper New York.”
Humorous illustrated page: “Opening Day” and “Rumors of the Day.”
Short fiction: “The Romance of Miss Turnipseed.”
A variety of period advertisements (watches, silverware, beds, medicines, teas, newspapers).
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📜 Condition:
Complete – 24 pages (including supplement).
Approx. 11" × 16".
Old binding holes along spine from original bound volume.
Light toning, some edge wear, small chips. Overall good condition for age.
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🎯 Why Collect This Issue?
Among the most iconic Harper’s Weeklys of the 19th century, documenting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 with dramatic engravings.
Features Octavius Catto, a pivotal figure in African American history, just weeks after his assassination.
Includes a Thomas Nast cartoon, adding political and cultural significance.
A complete issue with supplement, uncommon in the market.
Harper’s Weekly – October 28, 1871 – Complete w/ Supplement (24 pp) | Great Chicago Fire Engravings, Octavius Catto, Nast Cartoon
$130.00