1859 Great Balloon Voyage St. Louis to NY, Garibaldi, Dickens Italian War Jun 18

🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · June 18, 1859
Complete Issue · New York

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A visually spectacular and historically varied Antebellum issue — four large illustrations of the daring Atlantic balloon voyage from St. Louis to New York, Garibaldi and his Chasseurs of the Alps on the front page, the French army marching toward Austria, the Emperor of Austria and his generals, the new King and Queen of Naples, and a continuing Dickens serialization. One of the most adventurous and wide-ranging issues of the entire 1859 run.

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🎈 THE GREAT ATLANTIC BALLOON VOYAGE
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🎈 FOUR LARGE ILLUSTRATIONS — "THE GREAT BALLOON VOYAGE FROM ST. LOUIS TO NEW YORK" — INCLUDING PROF. WISE, THE AERONAUT
Four large illustrations documenting the planned Atlantic balloon voyage from St. Louis to New York — one of the most daring aeronautical adventures of the 19th century. Professor John Wise, the most celebrated American balloonist of his era, had proposed and was now preparing for a long-distance hydrogen balloon voyage from St. Louis eastward across the continent, riding the prevailing westerly winds toward New York — and ultimately, he hoped, toward Europe. The four illustrations include the Atlantic balloon itself, the emergency procedure for cutting loose if the balloon falls into the sea, the "Nineteenth Century" balloon designed for a San Francisco-to-New York voyage, and Gage's Patent Halyard Kedging Disc — an anchor device for controlling the balloon's altitude. Professor Wise did indeed attempt the voyage in July 1859, launching from St. Louis and traveling 809 miles to Henderson, New York — the longest balloon flight in history to that date. A vivid and significant piece of Victorian American aviation history and the age of aeronautical adventure.

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🇮🇹 GARIBALDI — THE LION OF THE RISORGIMENTO
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🦁 TWO FRONT-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS — "GENERAL GARIBALDI" AND "GARIBALDI'S CHASSEURS OF THE ALPS"
Two front-page illustrations of Giuseppe Garibaldi — the great liberator of Italy — and his famous volunteer corps the Chasseurs of the Alps, who were conducting a brilliant guerrilla campaign in the Alpine foothills on the western flank of the Austrian position in Lombardy. Garibaldi was the most celebrated military figure of the Risorgimento and one of the most famous men in the world, idolized across Europe and America as the embodiment of patriotic sacrifice and romantic nationalism. A significant and vivid piece of Italian Risorgimento history.

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⚔️ THE WAR IN EUROPE
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🪖 ILLUSTRATION — "THE FRENCH ARMY MARCHING THROUGH A SARDINIAN FORTIFIED PLACE TOWARD THE AUSTRIAN LINES"
A vivid illustration of the French army advancing through Piedmontese fortifications toward the Austrian positions — published just two weeks after the Battle of Magenta, which had opened the road to Milan. A significant piece of Second Empire French military history.

👑 ILLUSTRATION — "THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA AND HIS GENERALS"
A group portrait of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria with his generals — a significant piece of Habsburg military and imperial history, showing the command that was being defeated in the field even as this issue went to press.

👑 TWO QUARTER PAGES — "THE NEW KING OF NAPLES" AND "THE NEW QUEEN OF NAPLES"
Portraits of Francis II and his wife Maria Sophie — the young couple who had just ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on the death of Ferdinand II in May 1859. Their reign would last barely two years — Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand would overthrow the Bourbon kingdom in 1860. A significant piece of Italian Risorgimento history.

🕵️ HALF PAGE — "TWO SPIES BROUGHT INTO THE FRENCH CAMP AT ALESSANDRIA"
A dramatic illustration of two captured Austrian spies being brought into the French camp — a vivid piece of wartime intelligence history.

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📚 CHARLES DICKENS — "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" CONTINUES
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✍️ CONTINUING SERIALIZATION — "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" BY CHARLES DICKENS
A continuing installment of A Tale of Two Cities — the novel whose themes of war, sacrifice, and liberation resonate alongside both the balloon adventure and the Italian War content in this issue.

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📋 CONDITION
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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.

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📌 DETAILS
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Publication ········ Harper's Weekly
Date ··············· June 18, 1859
City ··············· New York
Format ············· Illustrated newspaper, complete in 16 pages

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📦 SHIPPING & PRESERVATION
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• Stored in an acid-free protective bag and flat-shipped in a padded envelope with heavy cardboard reinforcement
• Fully tracked for your peace of mind

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