Off to the Races! Horse Racing in Currier & Ives Prints

February 2 - June 5, 2016 - The images on view in this exhibition capture newsworthy horseraces, depict favorite thoroughbreds, and provide a glimpse into America’s early racetracks. During the 1800s, trotting races, sulky competitions and the practice of breeding thoroughbred horses was a fashionable pastime for the wealthy. Middle class men, who typically kept horses, took part in amateur races which were held on country roads or city streets, a practice that became increasingly dangerous. After the civil war, it became affordable and legal for anyone to place a bet on the races, opening the sport to a range of spectators.