Clipper Ship "Great Republic"

Marine views and pictures of ships have long appealed to collectors and popular taste. To meet consumer demand, print publishers produced a multitude of pictures of clipper ships, which were designed for speedy transport of large cargoes to meet international merchant trade demands. When a clipper ship set a remarkable record for speed, Nathaniel Currier quickly published a lithograph to celebrate the feat, thereby also creating good publicity for the ship's builder, owner, as well as the captain.

With this print, however, Currier documents the impressive size of the grand four-masted clipper ship, the "Great Republic," the largest wooden sailing ship of its day. As the imprinted text beneath the image indicates: its length was 335 feet; breadth of its beam was 53 feet: and the depth of the hold was 39 feet. Built in Boston in 1853 by Donald McKay (to whom this print is dedicated), the ship was praised for its sleek lines, four decks, long black hull, and having more than 15,000 yards of sail. This print's publication coincided with the 1853 launch of the "Great Republic" from Boston-- an occasion that was was witnessed by thousands of spectators. The ship was subsequently towed to New York, where it was loaded and readied for her maiden voyage to Liverpool, England. Unfortunately, before setting sail, a fire broke out and destroyed much of the upper decks and rigging. New owners eventually rebuilt the grand ship, and the "Great Republic" went on to set sailing records. In 1855, Currier produced another lithograph of the rebuilt "Great Republic," thereby reaffirming her special status among clipper ships.


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