"Got the Drop on Him"

Published as a comic hunting scene, this print shows a white hunter (left) clinging to the end of a drooping tree branch. He faces a mountain lion (right) stalking him on the same branch connected to a large tree trunk (far right). Beneath the hanging hunter, a Native American kneels in a canoe and aims his rifle at the lion. The canoe is on a large lake; mountains are in the distance. The hunter is dressed in a blue jacket, red cap and pants; his rifle is strapped to his back. The Native American wears a breechcloth, but is shirtless; feathers adorn his long hair.


























Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), who established a successful New York-based lithography firm in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century America. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the accounting-savvy brother-in-law of Nathaniel's brother Charles, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life, comic situations and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.