A Double-Barreled Breech Loader

In this hunting mishap in a woodsy setting, an open-mouthed hunter is surprised when his rifle (held carelessly in his left hand) fires at both ends, as he climbs over a low rocky wall to approach his prey beyond. One of the blasts hits his hunting dog (on its back in pain at lower left) and both blasts frighten a flock of birds, which fly off towards the left The title is imprinted on the bottom.


Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), 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 (1824–1895), the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907.