New-York Historical Society collection of Currier & Ives prints
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
About 58 lithographs and chromolithographs produced by Currier & Ives. Principal topics include the patriotism of men, women and children during the Civil War; images of Jesus Christ and Christian saints; Mississippi River paddle steamboats; animals; country landscapes; and "The Life of a Fireman" series of six plates.
Biographical / Historical
Currier & Ives was a successful American printmaking firm headed by Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888) and James Merritt Ives (1824-1895). Based in New York City from 1834 to 1907, the prolific firm produced prints from paintings by fine artists as black and white lithographs that were hand colored. The name Currier & Ives first appeared in 1857, when Currier invited James Merritt Ives, the company's bookkeeper and accountant, to become his partner. Currier died in 1888; Ives remained active in the firm until his death in 1895. Both Currier's and Ives's sons followed their fathers in the business, which was eventually liquidated in 1907. (Source: Library of Congress authorities record)
Arrangement
Prints are arranged in six folders by size and, roughly, by subject, as follows:
FF1: Civil War soldiers
FF2: Religious
FF3: Certificates and registers
FF4: Miscellaneous
FF5: "Life of a Fireman" plates
FF6: Miscellaneous (steamboats, landscapes, etc)
FF7: Miscellaneous (children, animals, etc.)
Scope and Contents
The collection holds about 58 lithographs and chromolithographs produced by Currier & Ives, with some by Nathaniel Currier dating before his partnership with James Ives. (N-YHS holds about 900 Currier & Ives prints across several collections; see the Related Materials Note in this finding aid.) Principal topics in this collection include the patriotism of men, women and children during the Civil War; images of Jesus Christ and Christian saints; Mississippi River paddle steamboats; animals; and country landscapes. There is a complete set of six plates for the series "The Life of a Fireman." A few images concern commentary or satire on political or social matters. There is a marriage certificate and a family photograph registry, unusual formats for the Currier & Ives firm.
The container list includes the titles of all items in the collection. A "Peters" catalogue number was recorded in the container list if one was noted on the print.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Available by advance appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.) Permission to reproduce any Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the New-York Historical Society Collection of Currier & Ives prints, PR 230, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was compiled by New-York Historical Society from various donations and purchases. Known acquisition dates or sources are noted at the item level.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was removed from the Printmaker file, PR-058, in 2003. An on-line finding aid was written for the collection by archivist Larry Weimer in January 2020.
Repository
View Inventory
"The Little Recruit", 1863
Scope and Contents
Peters 901. Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., April 5, 1900.
"Ole Massa's Grave", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., November 14, 1892.
"The Union Volunteer", 1861
"The Soldier Boy. 'Off Duty'", 1864
Scope and Contents
Peters 908.
"The Little Zouave. 'Up Boys and at the M'", 1861
Scope and Contents
Peters 904.
"The Soldier Boys. The Last Defence", undated
"The Hour of Victory", 1861
Scope and Contents
Peters 898.
"The Pride of America", undated
"The Star Spangled Banner", undated
Scope and Contents
Peters 921.
"The Brave Wife", undated
"The Soldier's Grave", 1862
"The Infant Saviour. Le Sauveur du Monde. El Salvador del Mundo", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"Holy Family. La Sagrada Familia", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"The Resurrection", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"Sacred Heart of Mary. Sacre Coeur de Marie. Sacrado Corazon de Maria.", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"Saint Bridget. Sta. Brigida.", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"The Annunciation", 1844
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacre Coeur de Jesus. Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"The Descent from the Cross", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase, Elie Nadelman; stamped as part of N-YHS Folk Arts Collection, November 17, 1937.
"John Wesley Preaching on His Fathers Grave", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Purchase from Plaza Art Galleries, October 31, 1941; item #7 in gallery catalogue of October 30, 1941.
"Family Photograph Register", undated
Scope and Contents
The document is undated. Handwritten entries on the register for G. Henry Rafuse, his wife Frances, their two children and their marriage dates. Dates of births, deaths, and marriages range from 1854-1936. There are no photographs.
"Marriage Certificate", 1875
Scope and Contents
Certificate is filled out: Abel N. Moore and Isanah A. Baker, both of Moscow, Maine, married October 16, 1870.
"The Exquisite. The 'Pet of the Ladies'", undated
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Likely a gift from Daniel Parish, Jr., September 27, 1901.
"The Momentous Question", 1853
Scope and Contents
Lithographed and published by Nathaniel Currier.
"The Old Farm House", 1872
"Grand Papa's Cane", undated
Scope and Contents
Peters 2804.
"Virtue, Love & Temperance. Love, Purity & Fidelity", 1851
Scope and Contents
By Nathaniel Currier. Acquisition: Gift of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, January 19, 1946.
"Grand National Democratic Banner. Press Onward", 1844
Scope and Contents
Lithographed and published by Nathaniel Currier. Political poster for James K. Polk and George M. Dallas. From the Bella C. Landauer Collection.
"The Cleveland Smile", undated
"Maiden's Rock. Mississippi River" [Steamboat/paddle wheel], undated
Scope and Contents
Purchased, November 15, 1938, Wilbur Fund. Print matted.
"On the Mississippi" [Steamboat/paddle wheel], 1869
"Luke Blackburn, By Bonnie Scotland, Dam Nevada", 1880
Scope and Contents
E. Forbes, del. Acquisition: Gift of Samuel V. Hoffman, December 5, 1924.
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 1]: The Night Alarm. 'Start her lively boys'", 1854
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., April 27, 1899.
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 2]: The Race. 'Jump her boys, jump her!'", 1854
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., April 27, 1899.
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 3]: The Fire. 'Now then with a will - Shake her up, boys!'", 1854
Scope and Contents
2 copies. One copy was a gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., April 27, 1899. The other is stamped "Property of E.A. Cruikshank."
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 4]: The Ruins. 'Take up.' - 'Man your rope.'", 1854
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., April 27, 1899.
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 5]: The New Era. Steam and Muscle", 1861
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., May 17, 1899.
"The Life of a Fireman [Plate 6]: The Metropolitan System", 1866
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: Gift of Daniel Parish, Jr., May 17, 1899.
Small reproduction of plate 4 "The Life of a Fireman. the Ruins" and publicity material for the Currier & Ives fireman prints., 1884, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Acquisition: The reproduction was a gift of E. Lawrence Sampter, July 8, 1957. The publicity document was from the I.N. Stokes collection.
"The Home of Evangeline. 'In the Acadian Land'", 1864
Scope and Contents
F.F. Palmer, del.
"Gray's Elegy. In a Country Church Yard", 1864
Scope and Contents
F.F. Palmer, del. Label on back reads: Purchased, May 7, 1936, but card in file reads that the item was a gift of Mrs. Eliza J. Watson in memory of her husband, John Jay Watson, 1946.
"On the Mississippi" [Steamboat/Paddle wheel], 1869
Scope and Contents
Gift of Henry O. Havemeyer, Yale 1900.
"The Mississippi in Time of Peace", 1865
Scope and Contents
F.F. Palmer, del.
"New England Winter Scene", 1861
Scope and Contents
Painted by Geo. H. Durrie.
"Enoch Arden - The Lonely Isle", 1869
"The Beauties of Billiards. 'A carom on the dark red'", 1869
Scope and Contents
Gift of Peter Laibson and Donald Smith, from the collection of Lillian & Judah Skoal, 2019.