Speeding on the Avenue 1870

Currier and Ives created this lithograph "Speeding on the Avenue" sometime in the late 19th century. It depicts a fashionable horse race, suggesting ideas of wealth, status, and the thrill of competition. During this period in America, prints like these democratized art. They made images accessible to a wider public. Currier and Ives were shrewd businessmen, catering to popular tastes. Their prints often celebrated progress and leisure, reflecting the aspirations of a rapidly changing society. But, it is also worth considering the institutional history of printmaking. How did the mass production of images influence artistic originality? What did it mean for the traditional art world? To understand this image, one might research the history of horse racing in America, the rise of the middle class, and the development of printmaking technologies. By examining the social and institutional contexts of art, we gain a richer understanding of its meaning and significance.