Perhaps the greatest risk lies in the number of reproduction Currier & Ives prints, which appeared as early as the 1930s. “There is a very good reproduction of 'The American National Game of Base Ball,'” says Lane. “In 1942, Andres Inc. of New York made a series of 20 top-quality reproductions of large folio Currier & Ives prints. The series also included such classics as 'The Road-Winter' and 'Home to Thanksgiving.' These are quite hard to spot since they are hand-colored lithographic prints of the right size. The only difference is that Andres used a technique known as collotype, which uses gelatin rather than a stone lithograph. Consulting an expert before purchase is strongly recommended; about 80 percent of the Currier & Ives prints I see as an appraiser on 'Antiques Roadshow' are fakes.”

Reproduction prints are not the only items sporting non-authentic Currier & Ives images. “It was the proliferation of items such as decorator plates, canisters, dinnerware, lamps, stove burner covers, cigar bands and even deodorant, which formed the genesis of the Currier & Ives Foundation,” says Scott Currier, president. “Every Christmas, our family would exchange tacky Currier & Ives souvenirs as gag gifts,” says Currier, who is a distant relation of Nathaniel Currier (his great-grandfather, Cyrus, was Nathaniel's first cousin). “After I while, we began to realize it really wasn't that funny; many people actually believe these items are authentic. It seemed important to change that perception.” The result is the Currier & Ives Foundation, a non-profit corporation run by members of the Currier family. “Unfortunately, the last Ives died several years ago, although we have been contacted by descendants of several of the artists,” Currier says.

Dedicated to preserving, cataloging and providing historical information, the foundation is most proud of one unexpected consequence. “Schools and libraries use our sample prints and educational packets as a chronicle of 19th-century American life, seen through the eyes of the average citizen,” Currier says. “It seems a fitting tribute, because that's exactly what Nathaniel Currier and James Ives tried to do.”

Judy Penz Sheluk reports on antiques and fine collectibles for collector publications and price guides in the United States and Canada.

For More Information

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American Historical Print Collectors Society
www.ahpcs.org
Fairfield, Conn.

Art & Old Print Restorations
www.oldprints.com
Marblehead, Mass., (781) 864-0200, E-mail: robkipp@oldprints.com
Longmont, Colo., (720) 933-7649, E-mail: oldprint@comcast.net