High Pressure Steamboat Mayflower, First Class Packet between St. Louis and New Orleans on the Mississippi River

In this print, the elegant side paddlewheeler steamboat "Mayflower" cruises along the Mississippi River; around the bend in the left background, another steamboat is visible. Shown broadside with an oblong banner flying above its bow (left) followed by two tall smokestacks billowing black smoke, it also proudly displays a pair of United States flags toward the stern. Its lower deck rides low near the water due to its being weighed down by a large woodpile (center), lots of other cargo, crew, as well as many passengers standing on its three upper decks. Steamboats played a major role in the development of passenger travel and cargo shipment along America's great rivers, such as the Mississippi and the Hudson.

Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law) was made a business partner; subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued until 1907. Nathaniel Currier, and later Currier & Ives, published more than 150 lithographs depicting steamboats or medium-sized packet boats that navigated the nation’s rivers.