Benecke, R. "The Levee at St. Louis”

After photograph by R. Benecke.  "The Levee at St. Louis."  From Harper's Weekly.

New York: Harper's Weekly, October 14, 1871.  9 x 13 3/4.  Wood engraving. Very good condition.

Harper’s Weekly remains one of the best sources for lively, informative images of 19th-century America.  Each issue of this popular illustrated newspaper was filled with popular genre scenes, detailed historical prints, and accurate, contemporary views.  Without television, easy access to photography, and modern printing and transmission techniques, these prints were the only means by which much of the country had access to visual images of the people, events and places in other parts of the country and around the world.  The prints are not only of some historic note, but they provide us with a contemporary window on our own past.