Currier & Ives “General Z.Taylor, The Hero of the Rio Grande” [Mexican-American War]

Currier & Ives.  “General Z.Taylor, The Hero of the Rio Grande.”  [Mexican-American War]. 

New York: N. Currier, 1846.  10 ¼ x 8 (image).  Lithograph.  Original hand  color.  Minor soiling and stains in margins.  Else, good condition.  C2329.  

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. The firm was founded by Nathaniel Currier, who ran the business on his own until 1857 when James Ives joined him as a partner.  One of the most successful types of prints Currier issued were portraits of important people in the news.  In those days before illustrated newspapers and photographs, popular prints like Currier’s were one of the only vehicles for people to see likenesses of people in the news.