Sold – Original Currier and Ives Lithographs From the 1860 Presidential Election Campaign

During the 1860 election campaign, Currier and Ives produced a series of humorous, large folio lithographs on the positions o the four candidates, Republican Abraham Lincoln, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, Southern Democrat (and sitting Vice President) John C. Breckinridge, and Constitutional Union party candidate John Bell. The lithographs were intended for sale to the general public for display in homes and workplaces. We present a group of three of these original lithographs.

The exploit of Blondin, who crossed Niagara on a tight-rope in 1859, furnished a new idea for the artists – a print entitled “Political Blondins Crossing Salt River.” Three of the four rival presidential candidates are here trying to cross the chasm between North and South. Lincoln tries to cross on a rail (quite fitting), with the ineffective aid of New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley, as the rail teeters on Abolition Rock. The rail does not reach to the southern side, and Lincoln is saying “Confound Greeley! He told me that it was not necessary for this end of my rail to rest on anything…and I believed and am lost.” Meanwhile, Greeley is “as usual” going into the river. Douglas is losing his balance through the dead weight of the Squatter Sovereignty end of his balance pole. Breckinridge, the southern candidate, is borne on the shoulders of President Bucnanan, telling him “Hurry up, old man,” as he feels his Slavery Extension rope tearing under his feet.  Bell, with his running mate Edward Everett, stands on Constitution Bridge, opining that the others are going overboard “because you were not satisfied to stand upon this bridge.”

During the 1860 election campaign the "Wide Awakes," a marching club composed of young Republican men, appeared in cities throughout the North. They often wore uniforms consisting of visored caps and short capes, and carried lanterns. In “Storming the Castle,” Lincoln is dressed as a "Wide-Awake," and carries a lantern and a spear-like wooden rail. He rounds the corner of the White House foiling the attempts of three other candidates to enter surreptitiously. At far right President Buchanan tries to haul Breckinridge in through the window. Buchanan complains, "I'll do what I can to help you Breck, but my strength is failing and I'm afraid you'll pull me out before I can pull you in." Breckinridge despairs, "I'm too weak to get up–and we shall be compelled to dissolve the Union.'" In the center Douglas tries to unlock the White House door, as Bell frets, "Hurry up Douglas! and get the door open, so that I can get in, for the watchman [i.e., Lincoln] is coming." Douglas complains that none of the three keys he holds (labeled "Regular Nomination," "Non Intervention," and "Nebraska Bill") will open the door, "so I'd better be off, for old Abe is after me with a sharp stick."

“The political gymnasium” is a general parody on the field of presidential candidates and their supporters in the 1860 campaign. At the far left stands Constitutional Union party vice presidential candidate Edward Everett, as a muscle man holding aloft a barbell on which rests running mate John Bell. Everett boasts, "There is nothing like having the Constitution, to give us strength to put up this Bell successfully." Bell states, "I have perfect confidence in Mr. Everett's ability to uphold me." Though holding second place on the ticket, the former Massachusetts senator Everett was much more popular in the Northeast than Tennessean Bell. To the right of Bell and Everett is Horace Greeley whose political ambitions are mocked by the artist who shows him vainly attempting to climb up on a horizontal bar labeled "Nomination for Governor." Greeley complains, "I've been practising at it a long time, but can never get up muscle enough to get astride of this bar." Lincoln, who has successfully mounted a balance beam constructed of wooden rails, advises Greeley, "You must do as I did Greely, get somebody to give you a boost, I'm sure I never could have got up here by my own efforts." His cross bar, labeled "For President," represents the Republican nomination, which Lincoln won in part through Greeley's powerful support. Occupying the foreground is James Watson Webb of the New York Courier, who tries a backward somersault. At far right stands Lincoln's former competitor for the Republican nomination, William H. Seward, on crutches and with bandaged feet. He warns Lincoln, "You'd better be careful friend, that you don't tumble off; as I did before I was fairly on, for if you do you'll be as badly crippled as I am." Near Seward the two sectional Democratic candidates compete in a boxing match. Douglas, the regular Democratic nominee, faces southern Democrat Breckinridge. Douglas taunts his opponent, "Come at me Breck, and after you cry enough, I'll take a round with the rest of them." In response Breckinridge asserts, "If I can do nothing else I can at least prevent you from pulling Lincoln down."

This is our first group of these famous lithographs from the 1860 election.