Harper's Weekly, The Moonstone Title Page, 1 August, 1868. [text]

                The first page of the Harper’s Weekly publication is modest in its attention to the journal itself. ‘Harper’s Weekly’ is seen in plain print at the top of the page, doing little more than reminding the reader in passing that they are reading this text within the journal. The focus of the page is undoubtedly The Moonstone. The title of the novel stands out against the rest of the smaller text on the page, and the author’s name is hard to miss directly below it. Immediately, the reader knows what they are reading and who has written it, they also become aware of other texts by said author, boasting Collins’ own success.

                The title, however, pales when compared to the two illustrations on the page. Harper’s notes that this narrative is ‘RICHLY ILLUSTRATED’, and rightly so. The top-left image shows (presumably) Blake speaking to Gooseberry, while the bottom-right displays the climax of the installment – the death and reveal of Godfrey Ablewhite. Not only do these images effectively draw the reader into the narrative, they excite Harper’s audience by showing what is in store for them if they choose to indulge in Collins’ story. In short, almost no emphasis is placed on the journal, and it appears that every penny spent in printing was done so in an effort to advertise Collins’ work.