The Washington herald., 1915-08-18
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HISTORY OF HARPERS.
Recalled by Death of Last q
Founders Of FamOu. Firm.

Founders of Famous Firm.
The death of Mr. John Harper al
- .eford. Me-. in his s4th year. marks
4 the passing of the last of those who
made Harper & Brothers such a IA
nous institution that the late J. Pier
| pont Morgan wrote at the time the
concern was in financial difficulties in
Harper & Brothers would be a national
calamity"
Forever connected with the old house
are the names of many famous au-
thors and artists of the past and pres
ent, among whom were Henry J. Ray
mond. of the New York Times; George
Ripley. Lewis Gaylord Clark, Charles
Dudley Warner, william Dean How
ellis. Henry VI. Alden. Edwin Abbey.
Howard Pyle and A. b. Frost.
John Wesley Harper, who became
president of the Arm In 1897. was a
son of John Harper. who with his
brother. JaEies Harper, founded Har-
per & Brothers in 1917. He was born
in New York and was one OF four broth
ers. The others were James. Joseph.
and Fletcher Harper, the last of whom
died in 1877. After being prepared at
the Anthon Grammar School Mr. Har-
per entered Columbia College. from
which he was graduated in 1852. He
made distinguished record at college
and delivered the vaIedictory on COM
mencement day. At first he elected to
study medicine and went abroad. Att
er being in Europe for several years,
he returned to this city and entered
the employment of the publishing
house. becoming n member of the firm
in 1869. Under his direction the scope
of the firms business became so broad
that when he became it's president II
was said TO be the greatest in the
world.
The history of Harper & Brothers is
the history of the Harper family. I'm
til 1898 all the publications issued by
the firm bore the imprint of u. and J.
Harper" Then the name Harper &
Brothers was adopted. In 1850 the firm
started in the magazine field. then in
it's infancy, with Harper's New Month
ly Magazine. This was followed by
Harper's Weekly In 1857. and then
came Harper's Bazaar and the Round
Table. which was discontinued in the
late nineties.
Tho old Harper building. which was
erected after the firm had been burned
out in 1853, fronted on Pearl street,
under the shadow of the Brooklyn
Bridge. and stood with the statue of
Benjamin Franklin in front and ran
back to Gold street. This was said to
have been the first steel structure
building in this country, and was an
object OF interest for many years, in
fact, until the skyscraper period be-
gan. 81
In those days the building was con-
sidered one of the sights of the city, |
and visitors were often shown through
1t. The members of the art depart
ment, many of whom became famous
artists. objected to being viewed and |
regarded the sightseeing tours |
through the building as a nuisance. |
Pyle, Frost, Abbey. and Thurlstrup I
were among the most distinguished |
of this group, and it is related tina,
the moment visitors were heard ap-
preaching they would get on their |
hn nnds and knees on the floor and make 1
the roars, bleats and other noises usu-
ally associated with the inmates of a
zoo. Startled visitors thought the |
artists of Harpers were lunatics. ana /
The sightseeing visits were soon dis
continued. The late Charles Parsons
was in charge of the artists rooms in'I
hose days. 1t was he who gave the
ate John W. Alexander Job as ONCE |
boy in the art department. Mr.. Alex
ander went to Paris. studied art. and
became one of the most famous por-
.rait painters in the world.
After the failure Of Harper & Broth
,rs Mr. Harper retired from the pub
ishins business. He lived quietly at
lis home. IS East Eighty-second street.
Ind was seen now and then at the
and Century clubs. of which
yived by his widow. who was Miss
NOR n Rr0wn- /