Across the Continent. "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way"

Currently not on view

Across the Continent. "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way"

1868

Frances Flora Bond Palmer (American (born England), 1812–1876) Published by Currier & Ives, 125 Nassau St., New York (1835–1907)

Frances (Fanny) Palmer immigrated to the United States from England in 1844, shortly before journalist John O'Sullivan coined the term "Manifest Destiny" and the gold rush drew nearly 300,000 settlers to California. By the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, she had become one of America's most prolific and versatile printmakers, her name appearing alongside that of Currier & Ives. Signed "F. F. Palmer," Across the Continent is her best-known work, demonstrating her artistic skill and sensitivity to the politics of her adopted country. A locomotive follows the mountain peaks West as it divides log cabins from unsettled wilderness. In the lower left, construction continues on a flourishing, well-populated town, promising renewal to a nation recovering from war. In the lower right, American Indians sit on horseback in the train's fading smoke, hinting at the old ways of life that are destroyed to make way for the new.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

Across the Continent. "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way"

Date:

1868

Artists:

Frances Flora Bond Palmer (American (born England), 1812–1876) Published by Currier & Ives, 125 Nassau St., New York (1835–1907)

Medium:

Hand-colored lithograph

Dimensions:

Image: 17 5/8 x 27 1/4 inches (44.8 x 69.2 cm) Sheet: 21 5/16 x 30 1/8 inches (54.1 x 76.5 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

Gift of Kathy and Ted Fernberger, 2009

Accession Number:

2009-215-2

Geography:

Made in New York, New York, United States, North and Central America

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.

Currently not on view