Currier & Ives: Printmakers to the American People by Harry T. PetersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is in two parts: history and plates. History covers the two founders, including both Currier brothers. (Charles Currier kept many of the original prints moldering under his porch.) Also in the history text is an overview of the company itself, its affect on popular culture, and many of the key artists. For me, most interesting here was the detail on the stone and wax lithographic process completed with artisan detail by hand. It feels like the popular, affordable prints were for their day something between an Internet meme and a mass media release like a big hit movie.
One thing that surprised me is the derogatory stereotypes in imagery and racist jokes popular with the 19th Century print purveyors. Much of this Black Americana is reproduced here in the bulk of the book which is large, full-page plates, of which there are over one hundred.
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