A Sale of "Blooded Stock"

In this horse auction scene, a portly, mustached/bearded auctioneer is poised with mouth open and with his arms raised to solicit bids as he stands on a large wooden barrel (left). Standing on the ground behind him is a very thin, bearded man, who holds a sheet of paper in front of his chest. At center, a small Black (African American) jockey rides a dark prancing horse in front of the auctioneer's barrel. In the right foreground, a man (wearing a top hat) awkwardly straddles a rope hanging from a horse's bridle as he inspects its teeth, while a young groom (behind him) leans backwards holding the rope taut to restrain the horse. The background is comprised of a motely crowd of men standing amid horses and one long-eared donkey; they form a backdrop for a pinto horse (center, standing in profile facing left) with its tail being lifted by a man wearing a bowler hat. In the far right background, two men (one holding an umbrella in the air as he bids) are on horseback. The title is imprinted in the bottom margin.

Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of 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.