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From 1834 to 1907 the firm of Currier and Ives provided for the American people a pictorial history of their country's growth from an agricultural society to an industrialized one. For nearly three quarters of a century the firm provided "Colored Engravings for the People" and in the process, because of the democratic philosophy of the business, became the visual raconteurs of nineteenth century America. Some of the finest artists of the day, Louis Maurer, Thomas Worth, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait, Frances Flora Bond Palmer, George H. Durrie, Napoleon Sarony, Charles Parsons, and J. E. Butterworth were engaged by the firm to produce a variety of images. The prints were printed in black and white and then the finest colors were applied by hand. These prints, which were issued in small, medium and large folio size, were hung in homes, businesses and public venues all around the country and even overseas. One of the most popular subjects were sporting prints and among the earliest issued by N. Currier (before Ives became his partner) was "Fanny" Palmer, a British immigrant who went to work producing drawings for Currier's prints about 1851. Some of the first images she drew for Currier, which she also transferred to lithographic stones, were her so-called Long Island hunting prints. As inspiration for these prints, Fanny went with her husband, Edmund, on his hunting trips, and based her scenes on this experience using Edmund and his dogs as models. These are quite rare prints and the earliest of the large folio Currier hunting images.
The popularity of Fanny Palmer's hunting prints from 1852 spurred Currier & Ives to commission another set of hunting scenes. These prints were drawn, but not lithographed by Palmer, and they are on similar themes and even titles, though the compositions were changed.
Louis Mauer was another of the great artists who produced sporting prints for Nathaniel Currier. This is one of his classic images, showing a hunting party in their camp. $2,800
A. F. Tait. "American Field Sports. A chance for both barrels." New York: Currier & Ives, 1857. First state. Large folio. 18 3/8 x 26 5/8. Lithograph by Charles Parsons. C:148. $4,850
A.F. Tait. "American Field Sports. 'Retrieving'." New York: Currier & Ives, 1857. Large folio. 18 3/4 x 26 3/4. Lithograph by Charles Parsons. Excellent color. Wide margins with light mat burn and small puncture near edge of bottom margin (conserved). Otherwise, very good condition. C:151. $4,600
A.F. Tait. "Pigeon Shooting. 'Playing the decoy.'" New York: Currier & Ives, 1862. Large folio. 19 1/4 x 27 5/8. Wear at edge of margins. Bottom margin trimmed to just cut into secondary imprint. Else, very good condition. C:4780.
Another classic Tait hunting image, showing two hunters in a blind. $2,800
Besides their large folio sporting prints, Currier & Ives also issued a nice selection of small folio sporting prints. While generally not signed, nor as finely colored as the large folio prints, these are still charming and decorative prints.
Although little is known about the personal life of Francis Calcraft Turner, the quantity and quality of his work put him very high on the list of English sporting artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. Turner, ca. 1795-ca. 1846, created numerous series of horse racing and hunting prints. These prints were in turn executed by leading English engravers. This scene of battue shooting, where beaters flush out the game, is a fine example of Turner's work. The figures are gracefully rendered and the surrounding landscape is a pleasure to look at. The soft coloring complements well this skillful draughtsmanship. All in all, a top quality print that fits squarely into the grand tradition of British sporting art. $900
Maison Basset. "Le Parfait Chasseur. Description des diverses natures de cases, gibiers di toute saison, races de chiens, ruses, engins, apeaux &a, &a." [An extended series of pictures and text about bird hunting in France]. Lithograph (18 x 25 1/4) neatlines plus margins. Paris: Fosset, ca. 1840 or 50s. Langevin was lithographer. Some age browning.
The pictures and text describe birds, hunting dogs and techniques as well as hunters and their firearms. The Maison Basset published prints in Paris for a century from approximately 1750 to 1850. $375
"Shooting Turkeys For Thanksgiving Day." Philadelphia: J. Childs, ca. 1862-65. 10 5/8 x 14 5/8. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A wonderful American lithograph showing colonial life in New England as envisioned by ante-Civil War America. The print is based on a poem "Written by a New England Patriot in 1765," which is printed below the image. The scene shows a winter turkey hunt, with the townsmen and children gathered outside the local tavern and barn. Interestingly, one of the children shown is an African-American, who seems to have the same status as any of the other children. Harry T. Peters, in America On Stone, calls this "One of John Child's most celebrated prints...that absorbing record of a detail of American life now gone." (p.139f.) $575
"Snipe Shooting." New York: Fisher & Carpenter 8 & 9 Baxter St., circa. 1870s. Lithograph with hand coloring (17 3/4 x 23 1/2 image) plus full margins. Slight water stains and repairs along center vertical area. Archival backing for strength. Overall pleasant appearance. Peters, America on Stone, p. 188.
Men and dogs hunting birds in an early Spring landscape. The willow trees along the creek bank are beginning to sprout foliage, thus giving the birds less than their usual cover. The picture artfully shows the stages of loading, firing, and fetching. A fine hunting print. $450
A.B. Frost. "Hunting the Deer." From A.C. Gould's Sport, or Fishing and Shooting. Boston: Bradlee Whidden, 1889. 18 x 11 3/4. Chromolithograph. Framed.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, interest in American sporting watercolorists grew tremendously and so A.C. Gould issued a fine portfolio containing chromolithographs after watercolors by the leading American artists, including A.B. Frost. This is one of the rarest of the Frost images. $950
A handsome sporting print from Gould's portfolio of chromolithographs after original watercolors by an impressive group of American artists including A.B. Frost, F.S. Cozzens, Frederic Remington, S.F. Denton, and Rufus T. Zogbaum. $450
An example of a beautifully produced set of sportin prints issued in 1813-14 by Edward Orme as part of his famous Foreign Field Sports.. The aquatinting and lovely hand coloring are excellent, as are the compositions. One of a group of rare and lovely prints. $130
Go to page with other hunting prints by A.B. Frost
Rufus F. Zogbaum. A day with the [Prairie] Chickens. From A.C. Gould (ed.) Sport, or Fishing and Shooting. Boston: Bradlee Whidden, 1889-90. Chromolithograph. 12 x 18. Small blemish in sky. Otherwise, very good condition.
Go to page with listing of other prints from the Sport, or Fishing and Shooting portfolio.
"Chamois Shooters in the Tyrol." From Foreign Field Sports, Fisheries, Sporting Anecdotes, &c. &c. London: Edward Orme, 1814. First edition. 6 3/4 x 8 3/4. Aquatint. Full original hand color. Full margins. Very good condition.
Go to page with more prints from Orme's Foreign Field Sports
Wood engraved prints from periodicals:
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