First Under the Wire

Thomas Worth, among America’s prolific nineteenth-century illustrators, excelled at drawing scenes relating to horses and horse racing, many of which were made into popular lithographs published by Currier & Ives.

In this animated harness racing scene, a harness driver leans way over the hind quarters of his fast-pacing brown horse as it stretches its neck out beneath the wire of the finish line to win. The open-mouthed driver of the horse-drawn, two-wheeled cart (with red-rimmed wheels) wears a pink cap, a blue vest over his white shirt, and pale blue pants. In the foreground, five men react in excitement; one man (far left) starts to climb the barrier to lean into the race course waving his hat with his left hand. At right, a judge leans out of the wooden judge's tower as he reads his stop watch (held by his right hand). On the far side of the course (left background), a linesman (wearing a pink shirt and blue pants) stands and raises his left arm; he holds a bucket in his right hand. In the background (from upper right to upper center), two racing horse-drawn carts approach the finish line. The crowd of spectators are indicated in the background (from upper left to upper center).






















Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), 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 America. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the accounting-savvy brother-in-law of Nathaniel's brother Charles, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life, comic situations and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.