Harper's Young People, Vol. 01, Issue 28, May 11, 1880

This is a window into a Victorian childhood. Harper's Young People, the illustrated weekly magazine that entertained American children in 1880, offered a dizzying mix of adventure, history, and natural wonder - all without a screen in sight. This particular issue, from May 11, 1880, delivers exactly what its young readers paid their pennies for: excitement. A young sailor's saga continues as his ship navigates the Suez Canal and confronts a monstrous waterspout. General Washington, fresh from leading a new nation, retires to the quiet dignity of Mount Vernon and its fields. There are tales of gold rush chicanery, a wayward donkey and a troublemaking schoolboy both learning their lessons, a white-knuckle boarding school boat race, and - for the scientifically curious - a look at the housekeeping habits of marabous and hyenas. Whether read as time capsule or entertainment, this issue captures an era when children's literature aimed to instruct and delight in equal measure.