Harper’s Weekly – October 14, 1871 – Complete w/ Supplement (24 pages) | Grand Duke Alexis, Nast Tweed Ring Cartoons, Elephant vs. Bull Figh

Original and complete issue with supplement of Harper’s Weekly: A Journal of Civilization, dated October 14, 1871 (Vol. XV, No. 772). This copy includes the standard 16-page issue plus the 8-page supplement, making a total of 24 pages filled with political cartoons, cultural reporting, illustrations, and serialized fiction.

📖 Highlights & Illustrations (Main Issue):

Front Page Portrait: The Grand Duke Alexis of Russia — commemorating his diplomatic visit to America.

Thomas Nast Political Cartoons:

“A Weakness” (full-page) – satire targeting Tammany Hall.

“The Four Masters That Emptied It” (full-page) – Tweed Ring exposed as draining the NYC treasury.


Exploration & Science: Engraving of the Polaris and Congress at Godhavn, Greenland during Captain Hall’s polar expedition.

Cultural Features:

Full-page dramatic illustration: Elephant vs. Bull Fight.

Pilgrims to the Holy Well — Irish Catholic devotional scene.


Portrait: Hon. Newton Booth, Governor-elect of California.

Serialized Fiction: Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins, with additional short fiction and poetry.


📖 Supplement (8 Pages):

Memories of Distinguished Authors – Catharine Maria Sedgwick, with engraved portrait, her home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and her grave.

Facsimile Handwriting of Sedgwick, with a letter excerpt.

Poetry and Essays, including “Our Rising Generation” and “Only to Know.”

Scenic Views: Engraving of West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Serialized Fiction Continuations (Lord Kilgobbin by Charles Lever, etc.).

Full-page Cartoon: Our Rising Generation.


📜 Condition:

Complete – 24 pages (16pp issue + 8pp supplement).

Approx. 11” × 16”.

Binding holes along spine from original volume binding.

Edge wear, small chips, and light toning; overall good+ condition with strong illustrations and clean pages.


🎁 Why Collect This Issue?
This issue is a rich blend of political satire, international diplomacy, and literary culture. Thomas Nast’s fierce attacks on Boss Tweed and the Tammany Ring, combined with the coverage of Grand Duke Alexis’s visit, make it politically significant. The elephant vs. bull fight engraving is a dramatic visual collectible, while the supplement’s tribute to author Catharine Maria Sedgwick adds literary and cultural depth.