William Penn's Treaty with the Indians when he Founded the Province of Pennsylvania, 1661 – The Only Treaty That Never Was Broken

In this print based on a painting (1771-72) by Benjamin West depicting an historical event, William Penn (1644-1718) stands amid a group of men (British Quakers dressed in black hats, black or gray suits or capes--two of whom hold a long white scroll, left of center) and Native Americans (right of center), who are gathered on the shores of the Delaware River. At center, two kneeling white men lift a bolt of fabric from an open trunk to show to the Native Americans (some are wearing feather headdresses). One of the seated Native Americans holds a smoking pipe on the ground. At lower left, two hatless white men lean against three closed trunks. At lower right, a seated Native American woman nurses a baby; a girl sits beside her and gestures toward the group of men with her right arm. In the background, there is a large light-colored brick building (the right wing is under construction); tree tops are visible above the roof. In the right background at the base of a huge tree, there are a few tents and several Native Americans (children and adults--seated and standing). In the left background, three three-masted ships and rowboats are on the river. The title is imprinted in the bottom margin.

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, ships, 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.