History of Currier & Ives Prints and Recognizing an Original
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Nathaniel Currier began his profession in lithography in 1828. At that juncture, he was apprenticed, at the age of 15 years old, to Pendleton of Boston, one of the earliest American lithographic firms recognize. After five years, he left and engaged in an assortment of business ventures, one of which was with Stodart in New York. It was at this time in 1834 that the print “Dartmouth College” was published by Currier.

The endeavor with Stodart was fleeting and, in 1835, Currier started his own firm at 1 Wall Street in New York. James Ives joined the firm in 1852 as a bookkeeper, after being recommended to Nathaniel Currier by his brother Charles, who also worked in the business. (Ives was married to Charles’ sister-in-law.)  The firm was located in New York City for the duration of its entire existence but occupied numerous locations over the years.

The firm was unique in its capability to unite artistic talent, skilled craftsmanship, appropriate expertise and merchandising shrewdness into a winning business venture. Under employment or contract were renowned artists of the day including Maurer Palmer, Tait and Worth were just a few who were in employment at different times. The Artistic awareness to detail is apparent in the work, on examination of the clipper ship print or a country scene will confirm the absolute quality of the prints. Only the premium materials were used: stones from Bavaria (where lithography was invented), lithographic crayons from France, and colors from Austria. The firm contributed to technology by inventing a lithographic crayon, reputed to be superior to any other available at the time. It also fashioned a lithographic in which contained beef suet, goose grease, white wax, castile soap, gum mastic, shellac and gas black. Ground-breaking merchandising techniques were used. Mass circulation and low cost were the keys to success. Cost was essential. Uncolored prints sold for as little as 20 cents each and ever large-colored folios sold for no then three dollars. Prints were sold door-to-door by peddlers, in the streets by pushcart vendors, in geographically remote places through distributors, and even overseas through agents. Although an estimated ten million prints were sold only a small percentage are in existence today.

Currier and Ives were successful men who worked well together. Currier retired in 1880 and died in 1888. Ives continued to run the business until his death in 1895. Although the sons of both men ran the business from 1895 it soon dissolved in 1907.

Recognizing an Original

Currier & Ives original you will commonly find:

• A title
• One or more lines identifying the publisher ("N. Currier" or "Currier & Ives")
• Sporadically, a traditional copyright notice ("entered according to Act of Congress" and a date).
• Frequently, a New York street address (which changed numerous times over the life of the firm)
• Perhaps number at the bottom which is a Currier & Ives' catalog number.
• Few prints carried the original artist's name.

Like the writing on the wall, some of the signs are in the printed piece. Look for these phrasing in the print "reprinted from,” "from the collection of", "reproduction of”, "courtesy of", "printed in the USA" or similar phraseology. Equally is true if the print is published by "Donald Art Co.," "Artistic Picture Publishing Co.," " Donnelly & Sons," "Columbus Bank Note Co.," “The Mississippi Lime Co.,” or any supplementary statement all the above are unqualified reproductions.

Currier used a cotton based medium to heavy weight paper depending on the folio dimension for their prints until the late 1860’s to 1870, Currier & Ives used a paper mixed with a minuscule amount of wood pulp. Reproductions are generally made entirely of wood pulp paper, which is typically thinner and has an applied appearance to the finish.

The dimension of the print pertains to the picture only, not to the margin around the picture. Regularly print owners trimmed the margins of the pictures therefore; an uncut print is more expensive than a pared one. The prints were published in various sizes, but are commonly grouped into folio sizes shown below:

Trading Cards - Approximately 3” x 5” or under
 
Very Small - Up to approximately 7” x 9”
 
Small - Approximately 8.8” x 12.8”
 
Medium - Approximately 9” x 14” to 14” x 20”
 
Large - Anything over 14” x 20”

Dating the print by address can be of assistance with determining authenticity. All Currier & Ives prints are unmistakably marked with the address at the substructure of each print.

Format: Name, Year, Address:

• Currier & Stodart, 1834, 137 Broadway
• N. Currier, 1835, 1 Wall Street
• N. Currier, 1836 - 1837, 148 Nassau Street
• N. Currier, 1838 -1856, 152 Nassau Street & 2 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1857-1865, 152 Nassau Street & 2 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1866 -1872, 152 Nassau Street & 33 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1872 -1874, 152 Nassau Street & 33 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1874 -1877, 152 Nassau Street & 33 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1877 -1894, 152 Nassau Street & 33 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1894 -1896, 108 Fulton Street and 33 Spruce Street
• Currier & Ives, 1896 -1907, 33 Spruce Street

Most Currier & Ives prints are hand colored lithographs, although Currier & Ives did issue several uncolored prints and a number of chromolithographs due to the high cost this process was short-lived and are sought after by collectors. Learn about “Chromolithographs” prints.

Commit

Currier & Ives’ prints are not only attractive and historically formative, but they represent a sound investment value. Studies indicate these prints have increased in value by 500 to 800 percent in the past 30 years. If you posses a Currier & Ives print and the overall condition is, poor you may want to consider restoration before selling or appraisal assessment.

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Written by Nolan of Annetiques, Inc., Langhorne, PA.

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