Currier & Ives was a firm of American lithographers during the 19th century. They first became popular with their print of an 1835 fire that destroyed a large part of lower Manhattan in New York.

This lithograph was followed by the series, now known as Currier & Ives prints, depicting 19th century subjects that ranged from the every-day to the sensational. Many Currier & Ives prints featured scenes of social and domestic life; cottage scenes, endearing little girls and boys, and charming young women are some of the most well-liked subjects. Today original Currier & Ives prints, some hand-colored, are valuable collectors’ items.

Another popular theme during the mid-1800s was the “To The Memory Of” prints. These hand-colored mourning prints often portrayed a woman or family in a cemetery standing near a gravestone. In the lithograph, the monument is not engraved, leaving a space for the owner to add the name of a deceased relative as a form of record keeping before framing.

Continue this tradition by printing this 1845 antique mourning print to inscribe and frame for your own home.