Fly Fishing

In this amusing print, a fly fisherman stands in a shallow stream holding his fishing rod between his legs. He uses a large handkerchief to swat at a swarm of insects buzzing around his head. Because he is preoccupied with the annoying swarm, the man is unable to deal with his tangled line snagged in some tree branches, even though he has a caught a fish (at right).

Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907.