The Family Record

Most of Homer’s illustrations were intended to coincide with broad national sentiment. Themes of domestic harmony were particularly popular after the close of the Civil War—when the unity of the family became a metaphor for the reunification of the country. The Family Record stresses the ideal of stability, as the young couple is observed inscribing the name of their infant in the family Bible under what may be presumed to be a portrait of a colonial ancestor. The engraving appeared opposite an anonymously published poem in the form of a dialogue between the humbly joyful mother and father.