1896 "Too Much Christmas," Boar's Head, Victorian Christmas Illustrations Dec 19

🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · December 19, 1896
Complete Issue · New York

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A warm and richly illustrated Victorian Christmas issue — a magnificent full front-page illustration of the ancient boar's head ceremony, dramatic fiction illustrations including a pirate shooting scene, a beautiful riding-dress centerfold, and the comic "Too Much Christmas." A charming and displayable holiday issue with exceptional framing potential across multiple illustrations.

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🐗 BRINGING IN THE BOAR'S HEAD
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🐗 FULL FRONT PAGE — "BRINGING IN THE BOAR'S HEAD"
A magnificent full front-page illustration of the ancient ceremony of Bringing in the Boar's Head — one of the oldest and most dramatic of all Christmas traditions, dating from medieval England when the boar's head was carried in solemn procession to the feast table accompanied by the Boar's Head Carol ("The Boar's Head in Hand Bear I, Bedecked With Bays and Rosemary"). The ceremony had been kept alive at Queen's College, Oxford since the 14th century and was periodically revived in Victorian England as part of the era's romantic interest in medieval customs. Harper's Weekly's full front-page treatment of this ancient ceremony is a vivid piece of Victorian Christmas revival and Anglo-American holiday culture. A warm, dramatic, and very frameable piece of Victorian Christmas history.

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🎨 VICTORIAN FICTION ILLUSTRATIONS
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🏴‍☠️ FULL PAGE — "CAPTAIN MALYOE SHOT CAPTAIN BRAND THROUGH THE HEAD"
A dramatic full-page illustration of a pirate or adventure story — depicting the shooting of Captain Brand by Captain Malyoe in a vivid scene of maritime violence and adventure. Victorian adventure fiction illustrations of this quality — dramatic, cinematic, and richly detailed — are among the most displayable and frameable of all Gilded Age illustration subjects. A vivid piece of Victorian adventure illustration history, likely from a serialized fiction piece by a celebrated author of the era.

👗 FULL PAGE — "SHE WOULD SIT QUITE STILL, PERMITTING BARNABY TO GAZE"
A charming and atmospheric full-page illustration of a Victorian romance scene — a young woman sitting still while being gazed upon adoringly by Barnaby, a warm and graceful piece of Victorian romantic fiction illustration.

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🌅 THE CENTERFOLD
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🌅 DOUBLE-PAGE CENTERFOLD — "A TALL, SLENDER, GRACEFUL FORM IN RIDING-DRESS WAS OUTLINED AGAINST THE YELLOWING SKY"
A beautiful double-page centerfold of a figure in riding dress silhouetted against a yellowing sky — one of the most evocative and atmospheric illustrations in this 1896 run, capturing the late afternoon light of a winter ride in a composition of exceptional elegance. A vivid, beautiful, and very frameable piece of Victorian illustration art and equestrian fashion history.

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🎄 "TOO MUCH CHRISTMAS"
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😅 TWO-THIRDS PAGE — "TOO MUCH CHRISTMAS"
A comic two-thirds page illustration of the consequences of Christmas excess — a warm, humorous, and very relatable piece of Victorian American holiday culture, capturing the overindulgence and cheerful chaos of the Christmas season with gentle comedy. A charming piece of Victorian Christmas ephemera.

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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 ··············· December 19, 1896
City ··············· New York
Format ············· Complete issue

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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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