Visualizing 19th-Century New York Digital Publication

Harper’s Weekly was the most widely distributed American periodical in the second half of the nineteenth century. By 1865, just six years after the newspaper was established, an average of 100,000 copies were sold every week, with some issues selling as many as 300,000. A staple in parlors, the paper kept readers abreast of the latest in politics, international affairs, contemporary literature, and ladies’ fashions. Even as late as 1884, a new generation of illustrators, including George Inness Jr., found “The Streets Of New York After A Snow-Storm” to be a compelling subject for cover art.

— Martina D’Amato