Currier and Ives Press Release

Lark Mason Associates is pleased to announce a single owner collection of American Prints, primarily by Currier and Ives, that is available for bidding online on www.iGavelAuctions.com. The sale consists of two sessions, Session I is from Tuesday, May 18 through Thursday, June 3, and Session II Thursday, May 27 through Tuesday, June 15. 

The Collection curated here for auction represents the culmination of over 50 years of interest in the history of the United States as preserved by many of the most notable artisans of their time.

Over the years, the Collection has expanded and contracted depending on the collectable opportunities. At one point the Collection was in excess of 3,000 prints, representing one of the larger private Collections of lithographs in the United States.  Collection management has reduced the sheer size of the Collection while retaining many of the most significant images.

The decision has been made to offer this rare Collection at auction so that other collectors and museums may obtain and enjoy the wonderful and historically significant images contained in the Collection.

The major focus of the Collection is lithographs with an emphasis on work by Currier & Ives. The Collection also contains many other notable lithographers whose work is considered historically important, unique, or valuable to the depiction of a sense of time. It is important to note that Currier & Ives considered themselves to be “printmakers to the people” and their works were priced so that the common man could enjoy them. Perhaps this is the reason that so many have deteriorated over the years.

Upon review of auction records, this collection would appear to be the largest private Collection of Pendleton, Nathaniel Currier, Currier & Ives, Charles Currier, the Kellogg Brothers and many others to come to auction in over 50 years. Records do not indicate a sale of this variety of large folio Currier lithographs in at least 75 years. Included are lithographs of the inventor of lithography, Alois Senefelder (of Germany where there is a ready supply of fine-grained limestone), as well as the first publisher of the first lithographs issued in America, Bass Otis, along with Otis’ first publication of the method of stone lithography.

The Collection contains a number of prints that are unrecorded, and some for which there may be no other copies outside of museums. (With a few where there is no known extant example.) Of the images available for auction, more than 800 titles represent the best of the Collection including very rare and significantly valuable works.   

Some highlights in the auction include: 

N. Currier, The Road Winter, estimate: $12,000-15,000

Currier & Ives, Life of A Hunter Catching A Tartar, estimate: $5000-10000

Currier & Ives, City Of New York, The Bird’s Eye View From The South, estimate: $5000-8000

Currier & Ives, Yosemite Valley The Bridal Veil Fall, estimate: $3500-6000

Currier & Ives, Gold Mining In California, estimate: $3000-6000

Currier & Ives, American Hunting Scenes, An Early Start, Full sheet, estimate: $3000-5000

Currier & Ives, Cash On Delivery COD, estimate: $2000-3000

Currier & Ives, Four Seasons of Life, The Youth (Set of Four), estimate: $1500-3500

Currier & Ives, Through To The Pacific, estimate: $900-1800

C. Currier, Reindeer Polka, estimate: $100-200