The Old Tennent Parsonage on Monmouth Battlefield, Erected 1706
Lithographer Charles Currier American
Publisher William S. Potter American
Not on view
This historical scene shows spectators looking at a damaged building which had been erected in 1706; the damage was caused by an explosion during the June 28, 1778 Battle of Monmouth (in Monmouth County, New Jersey) in the American Revolutionary War. Nathaniel Currier, who established the 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 and its history. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his brother Charles in the business. People eagerly acquired their firm's lithographs, such as those featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.
