Broadway New York: From the Western Union Telegraph Building, Looking North

This bustling urban scene surrounding the intersection of Broadway and Fulton Street presents several major New York City building landmarks -- the Western Union Telegraph Building (far left) next to St. Paul's Chapel, and the then-new City Hall Post Office and Courthouse. Because Broadway was the major north-south route in Manhattan, and the Fulton cross street was the principle thoroughfare leading to the city's docks, the area was often plagued by traffic congestion of both horse-drawn vehicles and people, as dramatically depicted in this print. In the foreground, one can note wagons laden with lumber, barrels, and other merchandise, along with vehicles full of passengers, while a steam-powered fire engine belching black smoke races off to douse a fire. Despite a policeman (standing at lower center) trying to control the unruly flow of traffic, pedestrians, who crowd the sidewalks, would have risked danger when crossing the street! For national and international audiences, however, this print helped to promote New York City as an energetic, enterprising and prosperous city where businesses thrived.

Nathaniel Currier, who established the successful New York-based lithography firm 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. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his brother Charles in the business, and in 1857, Currier made James Merritt Ives (Charles's brother-in-law) a business partner. People eagerly acquired their firm's lithographs, such as those featuring New York City views, picturesque scenery, rural life, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. While most of lithographs produced by Currier & Ives were printed in black ink and then hand-colored by by women who worked for the company, in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, Currier & Ives began to print in color. This print is a fine example of their early lithographs printed in color.