1860 Japanese Mermaid, Cincinnati Hog Trade Five Scenes, Rock of Gibraltar Feb 4

🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · February 4, 1860
Complete Issue · New York

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A varied and entertaining Antebellum issue — a Japanese mermaid curiosity, five scenes of Cincinnati's famous hog trade, the Rock of Gibraltar, and a Pennsylvania congressman. Strong content for natural history curiosity collectors, Cincinnati history enthusiasts, and Victorian oddity lovers.

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🧜 THE JAPANESE MERMAID
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🧜 ILLUSTRATION — "THE JAPANESE MERMAID"
An illustration of the Japanese Mermaid — one of the great Victorian curiosities, the cunningly constructed fake "mermaid" composed of the upper body of a small monkey sewn to the tail of a large fish, originating from Japan and widely exhibited in American and European sideshows and museums. P.T. Barnum's famous "Fiji Mermaid" — exhibited at his American Museum since 1842 — had made the Japanese mermaid a household name in America, and by 1860 such curiosities were being collected and displayed across the country. A vivid piece of Victorian American popular culture, natural history curiosity, and the culture of the cabinet of curiosities.

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🐷 THE HOG TRADE OF CINCINNATI
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🐷 TWO PAGES — "THE HOG TRADE OF CINCINNATI" — FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS WITH TEXT
Two pages of five illustrations documenting Cincinnati's famous hog trade — a significant and vivid piece of American industrial and economic history. Cincinnati was known as "Porkopolis" — the hog-butchering capital of the world before Chicago's rise to dominance after the Civil War — and its meatpacking industry was one of the wonders of American industrial efficiency. The Cincinnati hog trade had fascinated visitors and journalists for decades: Frederick Law Olmsted wrote about it, Charles Dickens visited the city and was reportedly appalled by it, and Harper's Weekly's five-illustration documentary captures the full industrial process from hog arrival to finished product. A significant piece of American industrial, economic, and culinary history and Cincinnati history.

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🏰 THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
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🏰 ILLUSTRATION — "THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR"
An illustration of the Rock of Gibraltar — the great British fortress at the entrance to the Mediterranean, one of the most strategically important and visually dramatic military installations in the world. A significant and displayable piece of Victorian British imperial and geographical history.

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🖼️ INSIDE THE ISSUE
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🏛️ ILLUSTRATION — "HON. JOHN HICKMAN, OF PENNSYLVANIA"
A portrait of John Hickman — the Republican congressman from Pennsylvania who was one of the most outspoken anti-slavery voices in the 36th Congress, currently convulsed by the Speaker of the House crisis. A significant piece of Antebellum Pennsylvania political history.

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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 ··············· February 4, 1860
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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🔍 SEO TAGS
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