American Presidents: Currier & Ives and Politics in the 19th Century

June 7, 2016 - June 4, 2017 - Over seven decades, Currier & Ives produced nearly 9,000 print designs that were distributed nationally through a successful marketing network. They printed pictures at an affordable price that reflected public interests of the time, making them accessible to most of the public. Currier & Ives did not play favorites in the political arena, often printing promotional lithographs for both sides of a political race or images that reflected multiple sides of social issues. Currier & Ives popularized American political values by identifying movements and individuals as unifying symbols of patriotism. This ideology created a visual lexicon for national identity.