Clipper Ship "Dreadnought" off Tuskar Light, 12 1/2 Days from New York on her Celebrated Passage into Dock of Liverpool in 13 Days 11 Hours, December 1854
Drawn on stone by Charles Parsons American
After Duncan McFarlane British
Lithographed and published by Nathaniel Currier American
Not on view
Marine views and pictures of ships have long appealed to collectors and popular taste. Built for the Red Cross Line of transatlantic boats, the "Dreadnought" transported passengers and cargo between New York and Liverpool, England, under the command of Captain Samuel Samuels. The ship became celebrated for its speedy crossings; this print documents its best record -- a crossing in less than thirteen days, a credit to its captain's skill (to whom the print is dedicated). Nathanial Currier's print helped to publicize that feat, and to ensure that the public, including prospective shippers and passengers, would note the name of such a speedy ship. The ship is here depicted "off Tuskar Light" indicating that the ship is passing by Tuskar Rock Lighthouse, located off the southeastern coast of Ireland; the ship was thus shown approaching England's shores and its port destination, Liverpool. Between 1854 and 1856, the "Dreadnought" made more than twenty voyages transporting cargoes of corn, cotton and other raw materials from America; for return westbound voyages, the ship transported immigrants and manufactured goods.
Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored 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 (the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law) was made a business partner; subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued until 1907.
