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Nathaniel Currier was one of the most enterprising lithographers of the time. Born in Massachusettes in 1813, he opened his own print shop in New York City in 1834 at only twenty-two years of age. The business was in the heart of downtown New York City's newspaper district where rumor could spread quickly with elbow-to-elbow proximity added to the buzz. Currier's first big commercial success occured in 1840 with the reporting of "The Awful Conglagration of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound, Monday Ev'g January 13, 1840." It was a broadside issued with a New York Sun-Extra within just a day or two of the tragedy. Such "speed" and "eyewitness" to an event caught the public's fancy. They wanted more. Although lithography had been invented more than two hundred years before, it wasn't widely used, especially in the United States where it didn't become useable until the 1820's and then not until the Bavarian limestone the illustration was cut into was imported into the country. Nathaniel Currier became an expert in the process which for many years had been kept secret. After 1825 however and the publishing of the process method, the technique advanced rapidly. Essentially a stone was "ground" to an even texture to receive a drawing. This was done by sprinkling a hard powdered abrasive on the stone, adding water as a lubricant and rubbing with another stone in flat, rotating motions. After grinding the drawing is made on the stone or transferred from a sheet of specially prepared paper. The stone is etched by brush on a solution of gum arabic and nitric acid that "desensitizes" the surface and lowers its affinity for grease. Next the stone again receives the gum arabic, the drawing washed off with turpentine, and asphalt. Finally, water coats the surface and inked for printing. The steps at the press itself have undergone many upgrades over time with the Bavarian limestone (in three colors and textures) being replaced in the twentieth century with metal plates. The stone method, however, is still preferred and used by artists today just as it was in ancient times. At first lithographs were done in black and white, then soon enough, they were colored by hand. There would be an "assembly line" of women, each using a separate tint of water colors to make the illustration more appealing. About a dozen colorists were used by Currier and Ives when undertaken by them. Printing color lithographs didn't come into general practice until the 1860's but was used until the turn-of-the twentieth century. These were called chromolithographs or chromos which today are highly collectible. The chromos were attained with a separate stone for each color to register over another. As many as thirty stones might be used for one illustration. Skilled artist lithographers became famous for their drawings and would sign their drawings. Painters, too, became well-known and sought after when their works were transferred into lithographs. Currier and Ives didn't become a duo until 1857 although Nathaniel Currier had been building his reputation since 1834. James Merritt Ives, a relative by marriage came to work for Currier in 1852 as a bookkeeper. Then, five years later he was made a partner. He is said to have a talent for selecting subjects and events to be sold. They both apparently had a knack for knowing the public's taste and how to sell. It was becoming a public thirst for current events and HEADLINES. Some of the subjects played on quite recent history-making eras in which much of the public had been involved such as the Mexican War and the Gold Rush plus scenes in their fifty years in business of selling them wholesale, through agents, peddlers, retail shops and even by mail (prepaid only). In 1893 a mail form read, "These pictures are the cheapest ornaments in the world" 20¢ each or six for a dollar. There were three sizes 8x11 at 15¢ and 20¢; 12x17 at 35¢ and 75¢; 20x28 at $1.50 and $3.00. Many were the bowls of fruit and flowers that decorated the Victorian home. Sentimental and religious subjects were not big sellers. Visual puzzles such as the "Bewildered Hunter" in which animals and people are hidden in the foliage were a novelty. The calendar page here was cut into jigsaw bits years ago, perhaps, twenty-five (!!!) and sent me separately each with a message on the reverse from friends. Janie Dollinger the perpetrator! And it's still nice to read these many years later as another birthday fast approaches! Such winter scenes and many another rural domestic lifestyle picture tells us how "The Way Things Was." They likely were shown in fairly accurate details and how serene and quaint life allegedly could be. The tedium, want, hardwork and day-to-day boredom did not show on the surface but then superficiality is often what many folks desire, even today, isn't it. Currier and Ives promoted decency, and each subject was said to be a visualization of an actual event or scene. Nathaniel Currier died in November of 1888 while James Ives passed in January of 1895. The firm continued on until 1907. Its creative, driving force spent. In 1924 the first auction was held of Currier and Ives prints. They are still desirable today and much increased in price. Collectors have their favorite genré while the subjects are recreated on many items besides the Christmas card. The A&P grocery once had a three-piece canister set with winter scenes on them and a copper top. They brightened the day of a stay-at-home housewife and mother! While there were 7,000 subjects printed in thousands of pieces each where are they all now?
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