Thanksgiving Day—Ways and Means and Thanksgiving Day—Arrival at the Old Home

The print Thanksgiving Day—Ways and Means and Thanksgiving Day—Arrival at the Old Home by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) is a significant early work created in 1858 and originally published in the influential illustrated magazine Harper's Weekly. This piece is rendered using the demanding technique of wood engravings on paper, a medium essential for mass-market publishing in the mid-nineteenth century United States. Homer was employed as an illustrator at this time, honing his ability to quickly capture narrative and atmosphere for a broad audience.

The two scenes vividly capture the dual realities of holiday travel. The panel titled "Ways and Means" likely focuses on the logistical difficulties and financial strain of the journey—the effort required to coordinate trains, carriages, and luggage. The corresponding panel, Thanksgiving Day—Arrival at the Old Home, offers the emotional payoff, showing the warmth and reunion awaiting the weary travelers. These highly detailed prints exemplify Homer’s early commitment to realistic depiction, foreshadowing the complex genre scenes he would later create.

As widely circulated illustrations in popular periodicals, these works document the evolving cultural importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday centered on the family. Homer’s ability to depict intimate domestic scenes alongside bustling public life established him as one of the era’s foremost American visual commentators. This pivotal print, showcasing his early mastery of black-and-white illustration, is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.