Nathaniel Currier and Merritt Ives were the partners in one of the most famous American printmaking operations of the 19th century. The firm was known for its color lithographs of American subjects of the time. Prints were hand-colored and featured themes of popular interest, such as frontier life, political occasions, and sporting events. Currier & Ives published more than 7,000 prints between 1840 and 1890. The firm ceased to exist in 1907.