This is a fascinating and highly collectible
illustration. It presents a spectacular view of a Civil War Pirate
ship. Several dozen Pirates are pictured on the deck of the ship, and
believe me, this is an unsavory lot of characters! Many of the men are
pictured sprawled out on the deck of the ship in a drunken stupor. One
man is shown on a barrel playing a fiddle. Another character is
crawling up onto the deck of the ship with a large knife in his mouth.
Each man is shown armed to the teeth. The ship is pictured pulling up to
another ship, undoubtedly to attack and plunder. This is one of the
most unusual Illustrations to come out of the Civil War era Harper's
Weeklies, and one you will not want to miss.
This piece is a rare and highly collectible
illustration. It will make a stunning display when framed and placed in
your office or study. It will become the center of attention wherever
it is displayed. It will be cherished not only by its new owner, but by
generations to come. What other purchase that you make this year will
have such enduring value?
Unlike newsprint of this century, these older,
original pages do not yellow and fall apart. The reason is that modern
newspapers use an acid based process. Remnant acid in the paper causes
the paper to quickly yellow and deteriorate. A different process was
used in the mid-1800's which yielded an exceptional quality paper that
will last for centuries. Special acid free mats should be used when you
frame this piece to ensure that it will last another 150 years. Acid
free mats are available at most better frame shops. If you have any
questions related to handling or framing this piece feel free to email
me. The print is approximately 11x16 inches. I have been collecting
Civil War Newspapers for over 10 years. It is a fascinating hobby, and
I find that these pieces really get noticed when framed and displayed.
The leaf is in good condition. It has the rich sepia
toning that you expect in original material from this period. There are
some spots of foxing, which can be seen in the picture above. There are
finger smudges in the margins from folks handling the leaf over the last
130 years. Several very small margin tears have been professionally
mended from the back side. The print will display very nicely.
