Harper's Magazine Covers from the 1890s

Harper’s Magazine was founded in New York City in June 1850, making it the second-oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. Only Scientific American is older, though that publication did not shift to a monthly format until 1921. Over its long history, Harper’s has covered literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts — and has drawn contributions from notable writers including Herman Melville and Woodrow Wilson.

The magazine has earned 22 National Magazine Awards and has not been without controversy. A major turning point came in 1971, when editor Willie Morris resigned and a significant number of staff members walked out with him. Through all of it, Harper’s kept publishing — month after month, decade after decade. The covers from the 1890s, now preserved in the Boston Public Library’s collection, offer a remarkable look at the illustration style and everyday scenes that defined the era.

The 1893 covers leaned heavily into scenes of leisure and modern life. Illustrated figures — men and women going about their daily routines — were used to draw readers in. The August 1893 cover shows a man glancing back while holding both a magazine and an umbrella, a simple but engaging street-scene composition.

A man holds a magazine and umbrella looks back, Harper's August, 1893 — A man holds a magazine and umbrella looks back, Harper’s August, 1893

The November 1893 cover moves the scene outdoors to a horse-drawn carriage, where a woman reaches out to buy a copy of the magazine from a boy on the street. It captures a snapshot of how magazines were sold and consumed in late 19th-century city life.

A woman buys a magazine from a boy while sitting inside a horse-drawn carriage being driven by a man, Harper's November, 1893 — A woman buys a magazine from a boy while sitting inside a horse-drawn carriage being driven by a man, Harper’s November, 1893

A woman reads a magazine, Harper's Sept., 1893 — A woman reads a magazine, Harper’s Sept., 1893

The October and June 1893 covers put women front and center. One features a woman standing with a dog and packages in hand, and another shows a woman in a garden setting, holding a magazine and flowers while reaching for another bloom.

A woman stands holding a dog and packages, Harper's October, 1893 — A woman stands holding a dog and packages, Harper’s October, 1893

A woman stands holding a magazine and flowers while she picks another flower, Harper's for June, 1893 — A woman stands holding a magazine and flowers while she picks another flower, Harper’s for June, 1893

The 1893 Christmas Number cover shows a woman posed elegantly holding a magazine — a fitting image for a holiday edition. By contrast, the January 1894 cover shifts focus to a man in the act of purchasing a subscription, grounding the scene in commerce and readership.

A woman stands holding a magazine, Harper's Christmas Number, 1893 — A woman stands holding a magazine, Harper’s Christmas Number, 1893

A man purchases a Harper's New Monthly Magazine subscription, Harper's January, 1894 — A man purchases a Harper’s New Monthly Magazine subscription, Harper’s January, 1894

The 1894 covers continued to reflect everyday recreation and domestic life. The October issue featured a man riding a bicycle with a copy of the magazine tucked into his coat pocket — a nod to the cycling craze sweeping America at the time.

A man rides a bicycle with a magazine in a coat pocket, Harper's October, 1894 — A man rides a bicycle with a magazine in a coat pocket, Harper’s October, 1894

A woman sits in a rocking chair, Harper's September, 1894 — A woman sits in a rocking chair, Harper’s September, 1894

Winter activities appeared on the February 1894 cover, which depicts a man carefully fitting ice skates onto a woman’s shoes. The Christmas 1894 cover takes a quieter domestic tone — a woman on a couch reads a magazine while a cat sits beside her.

A woman sits on a bench while a man puts ice skates on her shoes, Harper's February, 1894 — A woman sits on a bench while a man puts ice skates on her shoes, Harper’s February, 1894

A woman sits on a couch reading a magazine next to a cat, Harper's Christmas, 1894 — A woman sits on a couch reading a magazine next to a cat, Harper’s Christmas, 1894

The May 1894 cover pairs a woman holding a magazine with two birds perched near a nest — a gentle, nature-inspired composition typical of the spring issues. Moving into 1895, the covers began to include more historical and cultural references alongside the familiar domestic scenes.

Woman holding a magazine holding a hand out to two birds perched near a nest, Harper's May, 1894 — Woman holding a magazine holding a hand out to two birds perched near a nest, Harper’s May, 1894

A man and woman look at a horse, Harper's November, 1895 — A man and woman look at a horse, Harper’s November, 1895

A man holds a woman's hand, Harper's January, 1895 — A man holds a woman’s hand, Harper’s January, 1895

A man mails a letter while a woman stands behind him, Harper's February, 1895 — A man mails a letter while a woman stands behind him, Harper’s February, 1895

The June 1895 cover features a man in academic cap and gown reading the magazine while smoking a pipe — a scene tied to graduation season. That same year’s October cover adds a playful element: a man in sporting gear reads Harper’s while two rabbits watch on.

A man wearing cap and gown reads a magazine while smoking a pipe, Harper's June, 1895 — A man wearing cap and gown reads a magazine while smoking a pipe, Harper’s June, 1895

A man wearing sporting gear reads Harper's New Monthly Magazine, watched by two rabbits, Harper's October, 1895 — A man wearing sporting gear reads Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, watched by two rabbits, Harper’s October, 1895

The 1895 Christmas cover takes a festive approach, showing a woman holding Santa Claus’s hand as he raises a coupe glass. Other 1895 covers introduced more striking imagery — including a depiction of Joan of Arc raising her sword and banner for the April issue, and a cover for July referencing the German struggle for liberty.

A woman holds Santa Claus' hand as he lifts a coupe glass, Harper's Christmas, 1895 — A woman holds Santa Claus’ hand as he lifts a coupe glass, Harper’s Christmas, 1895

A woman reads Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Harper's September, 1895 — A woman reads Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Harper’s September, 1895

A woman stands holding a magazine, looking behind her to a flock of sheep, Harper's May, 1895 — A woman stands holding a magazine, looking behind her to a flock of sheep, Harper’s May, 1895

A woman stands next to a rabbit, both looking at a floating magazine, Harper's March, 1895 — A woman stands next to a rabbit, both looking at a floating magazine, Harper’s March, 1895

Joan of Arc holds up a sword while holding onto a banner, April Harper's, 1895 — Joan of Arc holds up a sword while holding onto a banner, April Harper’s, 1895

The German struggle for liberty, Harper's July, 1895 — The German struggle for liberty, Harper’s July, 1895

By 1896, the covers maintained their mix of portraiture and period scenes. The January 1896 issue featured a portrait of George Washington, likely tied to historical commemorations of the era. The remaining 1896 covers returned to familiar formats — women in elegant poses, men in carriages, and seasonal themes for Christmas.

A man sits in a rocking chair reading, Harper's June, 1896 — A man sits in a rocking chair reading, Harper’s June, 1896

A man sits inside a horse-drawn coach while the driver sits above, Harper's November, 1896 — A man sits inside a horse-drawn coach while the driver sits above, Harper’s November, 1896

A woman holds two cats, Harper's May, 1896 — A woman holds two cats, Harper’s May, 1896

A woman sits with a man in a bathing costume, Harper's August, 1896 — A woman sits with a man in a bathing costume, Harper’s August, 1896

A woman stands holding a magazine with three masks behind her, Harper's March, 1896 — A woman stands holding a magazine with three masks behind her, Harper’s March, 1896

A woman stands holding an umbrella, Harper's July, 1896 — A woman stands holding an umbrella, Harper’s July, 1896

A woman stands holding her gloves in her hands, Harper's October, 1896 — A woman stands holding her gloves in her hands, Harper’s October, 1896

A woman stands next to a man holding an umbrella, Harper's April, 1896 — A woman stands next to a man holding an umbrella, Harper’s April, 1896

A woman stands with her hands in a muff with a dog behind her, Harper's Christmas, 1896 — A woman stands with her hands in a muff with a dog behind her, Harper’s Christmas, 1896

George Washington looks out, Harper's January, 1896 — George Washington looks out, Harper’s January, 1896

Two men riding in a carriage drawn by one horse, Harper's November, 1896 — Two men riding in a carriage drawn by one horse, Harper’s November, 1896

The 1897 covers continued the established visual themes. Women in stylish period dress dominated several issues, while the Christmas 1897 cover returned to the image of a man settled into a chair with a magazine — a recurring motif throughout the decade that linked the act of reading with comfort and leisure.

A man sits reading a magazine, Harper's Christmas, 1897 — A man sits reading a magazine, Harper’s Christmas, 1897

A woman stands holding a crop, Harper's October, 1897 — A woman stands holding a crop, Harper’s October, 1897

A woman stands holding an umbrella open above her, Harper's April, 1897 — A woman stands holding an umbrella open above her, Harper’s April, 1897

A woman stands in front of a sedan chair, Harper's August, 1897 — A woman stands in front of a sedan chair, Harper’s August, 1897

A woman stands with a dog next to her, Harper's May, 1897 — A woman stands with a dog next to her, Harper’s May, 1897

The 1898 covers brought in some of the decade’s most varied subject matter. The April 1898 issue showed a man poised to strike a golf ball — reflecting the sport’s growing popularity among the middle and upper classes. The March 1898 issue carried a notable editorial hook: a piece by Mark Twain titled “Stirring Times in Austria,” which appeared directly on the cover.

A man sits in a chair, Harper's August, 1898 — A man sits in a chair, Harper’s August, 1898

A man stands next to a woman who has her hands in a muff, Harper's October, 1898 — A man stands next to a woman who has her hands in a muff, Harper’s October, 1898

A man stands ready to hit a golf ball, Harper's April '98, 1898 — A man stands ready to hit a golf ball, Harper’s April ’98, 1898

A woman stands clasping her hand, Harper's January, 1898 — A woman stands clasping her hand, Harper’s January, 1898

Stirring times in Austria described by Mark Twain in Harper's March, 1898 — Stirring times in Austria described by Mark Twain in Harper’s March, 1898

The final cover in this collection, from March 1899, shows a man guiding a horse-drawn plough — a grounded, rural image that stood apart from the urban and domestic scenes that filled most of the decade’s covers. Taken together, these 45 covers from the Boston Public Library’s archive document how Harper’s presented itself to readers across an entire decade, issue by issue.