The Valley of the Shenandoah

During the American Civil War (1861-65), Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley saw a series of military clashes as Union and Confederate forces struggled to gain control of the area. In this picturesque scene, rows of white tents of a Civil War army camp are set in farm fields on the banks to the left of the river winding towards distant mountains. Near the center of the picture, a Union flag flies near a white farmhouse. At the right, mountain peaks dominate the view. Rather than depict a battle scene, this print shows a peaceful camp site nestled in a lovely valley, so that Northerners of the day might envision the terrain where Union soldiers were encamped.

Nathaniel Currier, who established a successful New York-based lithography firm 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. Expansion led, in 1857, to a partnership with James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the brother-in-law of Nathaniel's younger brother Charles; the firm was subsequently renamed Currier & Ives. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes like this one, or rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.

When Frances (Fanny) Palmer moved to New York from England in 1844, she was already an accomplished artist and printmaker. Initially, Fanny and her husband Seymour operated a small print-shop in lower Manhattan. In 1849, the couple moved to Brooklyn after the business closed. Nathaniel Currier began to buy print designs from Palmer around this time, and she became a staff artist for Currier & Ives after 1857. As a designer able to transfer images to lithographic stones for printing, Palmer produced more than 200 prints for the firm and today is regarded as a leading lithographer of the period. Although it was unusual for a woman to achieve such prominence in the printing field, Palmer filled an important role for Currier and Ives firm, as she created the best landscapes, even of places she never visited (like the one featured in this lithograph).