SEE PHOTO-----COMPLETE, ORIGINAL NEWSPAPER, the Harper's Weekly Illustrated Newspaper (NY) dated January 30, 1864, with compelling Emancipation history and a horrific reminder of the cruelties and tortures of slavery. Along with this brutal image is a detailed report with short biographies of each of the individuals pictured. The report is titled "White and Colored Slaves".

Perfect for framing and display! 
 
Wilson Chinn (fl. 1863), was an escaped American slave who became known as the subject of photographs documenting the extensive use of torture received in slavery. The "branded slave" photograph of Chinn, a former slave from Louisiana, with forehead branded with the initials of his owner, Volsey B. Marmillion, wearing a punishment collar and posing with other equipment used to punish slaves, became one of the most widely circulated photos of the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War and remains one of the most famous photos of that era. The New York Times writer Joan Paulson Gage, noted, "The images of Wilson Chinn in chains, like the one of Gordon and his scarred back, are as disturbing today as they were in 1863. They serve as two of the earliest and most dramatic examples of how the newborn medium of photography could change the course of history."

Abolitionist, civil rights activist, and colonel in the American Civil War, George H. Hanks, wrote to George William Curtis, then editor of Harper's: "The group of emancipated slaves whose portraits I send you were brought by Colonel Hanks and Mr. Phillip Bacon from New Orleans, where they were set free by General Butler. Mr. Bacon went to New Orleans with our army, and was for eighteen months employed as Assistant-Superintendent of Freedmen, under the care of Colonel Hanks. He established the first school in Louisiana for emancipated slaves, and these children were among his pupils. He will soon return to Louisiana to resume his labor."

In an article titled “Emancipated Slaves White and Colored,” Harper’s Weekly introduces Chinn's escape from slavery: “Wilson Chinn is about 60 years old. He was ‘raised’ by Isaac Howard of Woodford Country, Kentucky. When 21 years old he was taken down the river and sold to Volsey B. Marmillion, a sugar planter about 45 miles above New Orleans. This man was accustomed to brand his negroes, and Wilson has on his forehead the letters ‘V.B.M.’ Of the 210 slaves on this plantation 105 left at one time and came into the Union camp. Thirty of them had been branded like cattle with a hot iron, four of them on the forehead, and the others on the breast or arm.”

Harper's Weekly (A Journal of Civilization) was a 16 page  illustrated newspaper based in New York City. It was published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916. It sometimes had long articles on the political intrigues and scandals of the day. Following the successful example of the Illustrated London News, Fletcher Harper began publishing Harper’s Monthly magazine in 1850. The publication was more intent on publishing established authors such as Dickens and Thackeray, but was a great enough success to begin publishing the Harper’s Weekly illustrated newspaper in 1857.

By 1860 the Weekly’s circulation had reached 200,000. Among its recurring features were the political cartoons of Thomas Nast who was recruited in 1862 and would remain with the Weekly for more than 20 years. Nast was a feared caricaturist, considered by some the father of American political cartooning. He was the originator of the use of animals to represent the political parties—the Democrat’s donkey and the Republican’s elephant—as well as the familiar character of Uncle Sam.

So as not to upset its wide readership in the South, Harper’s took a moderate editorial position on the issue of slavery. For this it was called by the more hawkish publications “Harper’s Weakly.” The Weekly supported the Stephen A. Douglas presidential campaign against Abraham Lincoln, but as the American Civil War broke out, Lincoln and the Union received full and loyal support of the publication. Arguably, some of the most important articles and illustrations came from the Weekly’s reporting on the war. It published many renderings in woodcut, by artists such as Alfred Waud, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Nast which are now important archives.

The newspaper usually contained 8 pages of text and 8 pages of gorgeous woodcut engravings, highly prized today for their  detailed illustrations of the American Civil War. The engravings are generally in 3 sizes: double page (DP - 21" X 16"), Full page (FP- 16" x 11") , and half page (HP- 10" x 8").

Very Good Condition. This listing includes the complete entire original newspaper. VINTAGE BOOKS AND FINE ART stands behind all of the items that we sell with a no questions asked, money back guarantee. Every item we sell is original printed on the date indicated at the beginning of its description, unless clearly stated as a reproduction in the header AND text body. U.S. buyers pay calculated priority postage which includes waterproof plastic and a heavy cardboard flat to protect your purchase from damage in the mail. International postage is quoted when we are informed as to where the package is to be sent. We do combine postage (to reduce postage costs) for multiple purchases sent in the same package. We accept payment by PAYPAL. We ship packages daily. This is truly a piece OF HISTORY that YOU CAN OWN!