The Fourth of July in Tompkins Square, New York – "The Sogers Are Coming" (from "Harper's Bazar: A Repository of Fashion, Pleasure and Instruction," Vol. I)

The Fourth of July in Tompkins Square, New York – "The Sogers Are Coming" (from "Harper's Bazar: A Repository of Fashion, Pleasure and Instruction," Vol. I) is a significant wood engraving created by Winslow Homer in 1868. This print captures a bustling public celebration shortly after the Civil War, illustrating the American tradition of observing the Fourth of July with civic enthusiasm and military parades. It was originally published in the debut volume of Harper's Bazar, one of the many popular periodicals to which Homer contributed his distinctive observations of contemporary life.

The scene focuses on a dense crowd gathered in Tompkins Square Park, a major public space on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The title phrase, "The Sogers Are Coming," reflects the excitement of the moment, particularly among the children seen eagerly awaiting the military procession. Homer utilizes the sharp contrast inherent in the wood engraving medium to effectively manage the large scale of the crowd, highlighting individual interactions within the overall structure of the civic event. The work serves as an important visual document of mid-19th-century New York urban culture and the collective experience of post-war national holidays.

Homer’s skill in reporting on the nuances of American culture made his illustrations highly valued by the public. This early print showcases his ability to transform ephemeral journalistic assignments into lasting genre scenes. Classification as a print allows for wide distribution, and images of the work are often available in the public domain for research. Today, The Fourth of July in Tompkins Square, New York is preserved in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.