New York Crystal Palace for the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations

Inspired by the great success of London's 1851 Crystal Palace, the New York building, domed and built of cast-iron and glass in the shape of a Greek cross, was designed by Georg Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister to present America's international exhibition of arts and industries. Construction began October 30, 1852 on a site facing 6th Avenue, between 40th-42nd Streets (now Bryant Park). The opening took place July 14, 1853 with President Franklin Pierce in attendance. The spacious interior displayed over 1,000 exhibits (including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, manufactured goods, machines, scientific inventions, etc.) until the fair closed on November 1, 1854.

This view shows the Crystal Palace facade as seen from across Sixth Avenue, which is filled with pedestrians, carriages, trolley cars, and men on horseback. In the central foreground are two Chinese men dressed in traditional garb. The United States flag flies from the top of the main dome; flags from other countries fly from corner turrets. At the left is a tall conical tower, the Latting Observatory, which was then the tallest structure in New York.

Nathaniel Currier, who established a successful New York-based lithography firm 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. Expansion led, in 1857, to a partnership with James Merritt Ives (1824–1895); the firm was subsequently renamed Currier & Ives. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.

When Frances (Fanny) Palmer moved to New York from England in 1844, she was already an accomplished artist and printmaker. Initially, Fanny and her husband Seymour operated a small print-shop in lower Manhattan. In 1849, the couple moved to Brooklyn after the business closed. Nathaniel Currier began to buy print designs from Palmer around this time, and she became a staff artist for Currier & Ives after 1857. As a designer able to transfer images to lithographic stones for printing, Palmer produced more than 200 prints for the firm and today is regarded as a leading lithographer of the period. Although it was unusual for a woman to achieve such prominence in the printing field, Palmer filled an important role for Currier and Ives firm, as she created some of its best pictures.