The Tomb of Washington, Mount Vernon, Virginia
Lithographed and published by Currier & Ives American
Subject George Washington American
Not on view
George Washington's tomb at his former estate of Mount Vernon, Virginia is represented. Protected by a brick enclosure, the stone tomb is glimpsed inside, and the structure surrounded by obelisks, each enclosed by an iron fence. Reverent figures stand near the entrance.
The New York firm of Currier & Ives grew from a printing business established by Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888) in 1835. Expansion led, in 1857, to a partnership with brother-in-law James Merritt Ives (1824–1895). The firm operated until 1907, lithographing over 4,000 subjects for distribution across America and Europe with popular categories including landscape, marines, natural history, genre, caricatures, portraits, history and foreign views. Until the 1880s, images were printed in monochrome, then hand-colored by women who worked for the company at home.