Lithographs by Currier and Ives are ubiquitous in antique stores, estate auctions and Victorian homes. Billing itself as “the Grand Central Depot for Cheap and Popular prints,” the firm published more than 7,500 lithographs from 1835 to 1907, touching on every phase of American life. Employing or copying the work of fine artists, they chose subjects with mass-market appeal, reflecting the sentiments, values, and aspirations of ordinary Americans.
This iconic print of the Statue of Liberty is titled and captioned, “The Great Bartholdi Statue, Liberty Enlightening the World. The gift of France to the American people. Erected on Bedloe’s Island, New York Harbor. The statue is of bronze, 151 ft. in height, mounted on a stone pedestal 154 ft. high, making the extreme height from foundation to torch 305 ft.”
