'Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way' print   Save
Historical Communication Artifacts
Description: Print by Currier & Ives titled "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way," from the "Across the Continent" series, published in 1868. This illustration shows a railroad line crossing the American frontier. On one side of the tracks, American settlers are chopping down trees and settling a town, while on the other are Native Americans and untouched lands. During the mid to late nineteenth century, the Currier & Ives printing firm was a well-known producer of lithographic prints. Common subjects matter included historical events such as the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, the North American landscape, rural life in the United States and wildlife. Nathaniel Currier began his career in the printing business as an apprentice at a Boston printing firm in 1828, and opened his own printing firm in New York in 1835. James Ives joined the firm in 1852 as a bookkeeper, and was soon made a partner in 1857. They sold prints from their own New York shop and also distributed them through peddlers View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: H43080
Subjects: Art, American--Ohio; Prints and printmaking; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Railroads;
Places: New York (New York);