"Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way," 1868

01

Artifact Overview

This 1868 Currier and Ives lithograph captures a 19th-century American's view of westward expansion. The New York to San Francisco through-line train leaves the "civilized" foreground -- land being cleared of forests and dotted with a school, church and homes. The tracks lead to a vast untapped openness while they separate and bypass native peoples and the wilderness.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Print (Visual work)

Date Made

1868

Subject Date

1868

Creator Notes

Artwork by James Merritt (J.M.) Ives and F.F. (Fanny) Palmer; published by Currier & Ives, New York, New York.

Collection Title

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

00.3.2089

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Lithography
Hand coloring

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 28.5 in
Width: 36 in

Inscriptions

Text lower left corner under image: J.M. IVES, DEL. Text lower right corner under image: DRAWN BY F.F. PALMER Text under center of image: Entered according to act of Congress in the year AD 1868... Text under title: NEW YORK PUBLISHED BY CURRIER & IVES 125 NASSAU STREET
"Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way," 1868