"Tumbled to It"

This print was issued as a humorous scene showing a hunting expedition mishap. Three heads appear above the surface of an overturned canoe in a wilderness lake. The intended prey is flanked by its two hunters -- the trio struggling to keep their heads above water. At left, a dark-haired white man's head has broken through the bottom of the canoe; a branch rests on the end of the boat. In in the middle, a dripping, open-mouthed mountain lion clings to the boat with its paws. At right, the head of a Native American (with two feathers in his hair)-- the hunter's guide-- has also poked his head through the bottom of the canoe. A paddle floats horizontally on the water surface in the near foreground. At right, there is a tree with a broken off branch at its top. Beyond the tumbled trio (who try not to drown) is the expanse of lake with mountains in the distance; a thicket of vegetation is on the bank (left). The title is imprinted in the bottom margin.

This is is the companion and sequel print to "Got the Drop on Him" (Peters 336, Gale 2660; see Metropolitan Museum of Art accession no. 52.632.233).

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.