Harper's Weekly (fl. 1825 - 1916) Harper's Weekly (1825 - 1916), subtitled "A Journal of Civilization" was a weekly political magazine and news journal published out of New York City. The Harper brothers, James, John, Joseph and Fletcher, began publishing in 1825. Inspired by the London Illustrated News, they created Harper's Weekly in 1857. The important weekly journal witnessed some of the most important moments in history from the American Civil War, to the serialized publishing of Dickens novels, to the inventions of the modern Santa Clause by illustrator Thomas Nast. Harpers continued to publish until 1916. The Harper name is still alive in the magazine business to this day. Click here for a list of rare maps from Harper's Weekly. Rare maps by Harper's Weekly currently for sale. Rare maps by Harper's Weekly in the Geographicus Antique Map Archive.