The Port of New York, Bird's Eye View from the Battery, Looking South
After Parsons & Atwater American
Lithographed and published by Currier & Ives American
Not on view
This aeriel view extends upward from Castle Garden fronting the Battery, backed by a large park. A broad adjacent road and paths are filled with vehicles and pedestrians. Beyond we see the Hudson and East Rivers entering New York Harbor, with the Narrows and Bay in the distance. The water is filled with sail and steam powered vessels, underscoring the city's position as a leading port. 48 landmarks are identified in the key below.
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 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.
