The Great Book of Currier and Ives' America

Between 1834 and 1898, the famous firm of Currier & Ives published more than seven thousand lithographs, illustrating scenes of American life, the likenesses of American leaders, and events that made the news of the day. The skilled craftsmanship and keen observation of these prints--which were individually colored by hand--make them among the most collectible, and historically important, Americana.

Walton Rawls’s history of the extraordinary publishing enterprise of Nathaniel Currier and James Ives is also a history of their × in this volume, the vast panorama of nineteenth-century America--including the Civil War, the opening of the West, and the growth of the cities, but also the daily activities of every part of society--unfolds both in a lively text and in the vibrant color and exciting detail of the prints themselves.

Some four hundred of the firm’s finest lithographs appear herein, more than three hundred of them as full-page color plates, grouped by subject matter; in fact, no other book reproduces so many Currier & Ives prints in color. Each print is captioned with its original title, date of publication, and artist, where known--invaluable information for collectors, students, and anyone interested in American history and illustration.