Caught on the Fly

Thomas Worth, among America’s prolific nineteenth-century illustrators, excelled at drawing trotting horses and comic subjects, many of which were made into lithographs published by Currier & Ives. In this humorous print, two well-dressed fishermen have managed to hook one another and fail to notice a hungry dog stealing their meagre catch. The scene amuses of a barefoot boy on the opposite bank who has managed to catch a string of fish that now hang from a tree branch. The underlying message is that buying expensive clothes and equipment will not ensure success at fishing–or other pursuits.










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. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.