Hug me Closer, George!

In this humorous scene, a blond young woman, dressed in a pink-red dress, is seated on a large log in the woods. Thinking her beau is behind her, she is unaware that it is a large brown bear hugging her waist (and gazing at her head open-mouthed). At the upper center, a young man fearfully watches from a branch of a large tree. At the lower right, a pink parasol leans against the log. At left, a lady's large brimmed hat (adorned with flowers and ribbons) and a man's hat rest upon the log. The print's title is imprinted in the bottom margin.

Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), who had established his successful New York-based lithography firm in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of nineteenth century American life. In 1857, Currier made James Merritt Ives (1824–1895) a business partner; the Currier & Ives firm operated until 1907. Many eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, images of boats and trains, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life, comic pictures, and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.