Harper's New Monthly Magazine, June 1856 - November 1858, (5) Bound Volumes

Publication: Harper's New Monthly Magazine

Condition:  Poor to fair antique condition. These volumes show heavy wear consistent with age and heavy use. Sold as is for research, reference, or restoration. Please see photos. 

• Bindings & Spines: Leather is dry, brittle, and experiencing active degradation. Vol XIV, XV, and XVII have partially or fully detached spine covers. The cover/spine on Vol. XIII has completely detached from the bound pages. 
• Spine Construction/Loss: Volumes XV and XVII have significant leather loss on spines, exposing the underlying paper binding elements underneath.
• Interior Pages: Expect widespread foxing, toning, occasional dog-ears, and minor tears. typical of mid 1800's paper stock. Text blocks remain largely stable and legible. 
• Note: Given the fragile, brittle state of the bindings, some minor material loss or shifting may occur during shipping and handling. Sold strictly as is. 

Details: Monthly literary and political magazine bound in six-month lots. Half-bound with light brown leather spines and corners, blue marbled paper cover boards. Lightly tooled with gilt titles and minimal decoration. There are very few scattered notes by previous owners. Volume XIV opens with an excerpt from "Sunnyside" by Washington Irving and closes with a piece from Dickens's "Little Dorrit". Volume  XVI opens with a collection of Christmas poems, including "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (The Night Before Christmas) and closes with an excerpt from "The Virginians" by William Makepeace Thackeray.

The oldest general-interest monthly magazine in America and first published in 1850, Harper's New Monthly Magazine was initially meant to introduce European Literature to the American audience.  Soon American authors and artists' works began to take their places among the pages.  Herman Melville, William Makepeace Thackeray and Charles Dickens were joined by Horatio Alger, Horace Greeley and Mark Twain.  Frederic Remington and Winslow Homer were among the illustrators featured.  Travelogues and ladies' fashions were also included.  In the early 20th century politics and social reform began to make their way among the pages with writers such as Winston Churchill, Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt.  Through format changes and ownership turnover, Harper's Magazine remains to this day an exemplar of fine writing and original thought