In 1817, James Harper (1795-1869) and his brother John (1797-1875) open a printing firm before being joined by Joseph (1801-1870) and Fletcher (1806-1877). Together they run the firm of Harper Brothers which becomes the largest book publisher in America. In 1850 Fletcher launches Harper’s New Monthly Magazine modeled after the London Illustrated News, and it achieves weekly circulation of 110,000. This success leads in 1857 to Harper’s Weekly which marries insightful text with woodcut illustrations to become the standard for tracking social and political events, especially throughout the Civil War. The company thrives until Fletcher, the last surviving brother, dies in 1877. After disappearing for a time, it becomes the antecedent for the modern firm of Harper Collins.
Fletcher Harper
