A selection of nocturnal scenes created by Currier & Ives. On display are portrayals of marine disasters, landscapes, newsworthy fires, fantasy scenes and historic figures and events. The Currier & Ives lithograph firm was America’s longest running printing establishment, covering a span of seventy-three years. The firm closed down in 1907.
Coined by James Abbott McNeil Whistler (1834-1903), nocturne painting described night scenes and subjects as they appeared in a veil of light, or at twilight. The term “nocturne” became associated with the Tonalism movement in American art during the late 19th and early 20th century. The work was characterized by soft, diffused light and muted tones all of which imbued paintings with a strong sense of mood. In an effort to bolster their commercial success by creating lithographs that reflected trends and changing interests in the art world, Currier & Ives added the nocturne-scene genre to their long list of “popular pictures.” Nathaniel Currier & James Merritt Ives successfully created an artistic legacy by producing more than 7000 prints and sold millions of copies. Throughout the 19th century the images hung on the walls of America’s homes, stores, barbershops, firehouses and taverns.