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NEW YORK CITY
19th Century Sporting Scenes

[ From Harper's Weekly | From Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper ]
[ Non-sport wood engravings of New York City ]

[ New York City Exhibition Home Page | Philadelphia Print Shop Home Page ]

Harper's Weekly

Harper's Weekly was a New York based newspaper in the last half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In weekly issues, Harper's presented a mixture of news stories, gossip, poetry, and most notably, wood-engraved illustrations. These pictures remain one of the best sources for lively, informative images of nineteenth-century America. With photographs in a primitive stage, and no television, it is through these illustrations that much of the country got its visual information about the events, personalities and places of the time. These illustrations are also among the few sources we have today for 19th century activities, events et al. Major artists were employed to do drawings on the spot, which were then turned into lively and detailed prints in an amazingly short period of time. While originally issued in large numbers, few have survived in good condition. These are interesting, historical and very collectible prints.

Double Folio:

Arthur Lumley. "Taking the Reins -- A Familiar Scene in Central Park." September 27, 1873. Repaired tear at center fold; else, very good condition. $75

Schell & Hogan. "Coaching in New York. --- A Drive Through Central Park." June 12, 1880. $70

W.P. Snyder. "Sleighing in Central Park." February 27, 1886. N.B. Dakota Apartments (72 & C.P.W.) in background. $225

T. de Thulstrup. "Wheeling on Riverside Drive." July 17, 1886. $225

J. v.Chelminski. "The New York Riding Club." October 8, 1886. $150

W.T. Smedley. "The North Meadows, Central Park. A Proposed Site for some of the Buildings of the World's Fair of 1892." October 5, 1889. Men and women playing lawn tennis. $275

C.S. Reinhart. "Foot-Ball at Tuxedo." October 25, 1890. $250

Folio:

"Skating Carnival in Brooklyn, February 10, 1862." February 22, 1862. $115

“The Annual Regatta of the New York Yacht Club, June 10, 1869.—Rounding of the Light-Ship.” June 26, 1869. Cover illustration; 9 7/8 x 9 1/4. $65

Thomas Worth. "A Queens County, Long Island, Fox-Hunt." January 26, 1878. $45

C.S. Reinhart. "Archery Practice on Staten Island." August 3, 1878. $65

J.W. Alexander. "A Game of Lawn Tennis, Staten Island Club Grounds." September 24, 1881. $175

C.D. Weldon. "Third Annual Meet of the League of American Wheelmen --- The Parade on Riverside Drive." June 2, 1883. NA

C.D. Weldon. "The Ladies' Lawn Tennis Tournament, Staten Island Club Grounds." and Gray-Parker. "The Great Trot at Fleetwood between Jay-Eye-See and St. Julien." October 13, 1883. $75

T. de Thulstrup. "Lawn Tennis in Prospect Park." July 11, 1885. NA

W.P. Snyder. "Tobogganing in New York City." December 25, 1886. $95

Charles Dana Gibson. "The First League Game of base-Ball of the Season." April 27, 1889. $225

T. de Thulstrup. "William Ewing, Captain of the New York Base-Ball Club." November 9, 1889. $200

F.V. Du Mond. "The Manhattan A.C. Grounds. 1. View from the Grand Stand 2. Club-House 3. The Field and River View 4. At Work on the Grounds 5. The Grand Stand 6. Club-house Piazza." September 26, 1891. $75

Partial Page:

Schell & Hogan. "The New Grounds of the Metropolitan Base-Ball Club on Staten Island." May 15, 1886. 6 3/4 x 9. $145

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper was one of the two great American weekly newspapers which visually documented the American life in the latter half of the 19th century. Filled with wood engravings based on drawings made on the spot by such artists as Forbes, Waud, Schell and others, these newspapers provided front lines images of the events and personalities of the Civil War and the the post war years for interested readers around the country. Some of the most interesting and authentic images of this period were issued in Leslie's, and these wood engravings provide a visual record that is of inestimable value.