Old Best 50 Folio

In 1932 a group of twelve prominent collectors gathered in New York City to judge what they considered would represent the best large folios produced by Currier. The late Harry Shaw Newman headed the endeavor and was backed by Harry T. Peters who furnished part of his extensive collection for the viewing.

One of the participants in this project was Charles Messer Stow, antiques editor of the New York Sun. Charles, sensing a story, decided to cover this selection of Best 50 Large Folio Currier & Ives prints. The New York Sun published the selection process and one selected large folio print per day for 50 consecutive days. This attention sparked a renewed interest in Currier & Ives prints.

This first undertaking was so successful that it was repeated the following year with the small folio prints. The same group of collectors, for the most part, were asked to choose the best 50 small folio prints. In this final selection there are four medium folio prints..

The prints from these two first selections of prints we now refer to as "The Old Best 50"

Rank	Title / sub title - Image area measurements = inches.16ths - date	Folio	Conn	Gale
1	HUSKING / (Painted by E. Johnson) (21.1x27.6) 1861	L	3008	3249
2	AMERICAN FOREST SCENE / Maple Sugaring / (18.11x27) 1856, N. Currier	L	157	170
3	CENTRAL PARK, WINTER / The Skating Pond / (18.6x26.12) 1862	L	954	1047
4	HOME TO THANKSGIVING / (Painted by G.H. Durrie) (14.12x25.1) 1867	L	2882	3115
5	LIFE OF A HUNTER, THE / A Tight Fix / (18.12x27.1) 1861	L	3522	3790
6	LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE / The "Buffalo Hunt" / (18.7x27.1) 1862	L	3527	3796
7	LIGHTNING EXPRESS" TRAINS, THE / Leaving the Junction / (17.14x27.14) 1863	L	3535	3803
8	PEYTONA AND FASHION / (17.13x28.10) N. Currier	L	4763	5164
9	ROCKY MOUNTAINS, THE - EMIGRANTS CROSSING THE PLAINS / (17.7x25.13) 1866	L	5196	5633
10	TROLLING FOR BLUE FISH / (18.8x27.14) 1866	L	6158	6641
11	WHALE FISHERY, THE / The Sperm Whale In A Flurry / (16x24)	L	6627	7160
12	WINTER IN THE COUNTRY / The Old Grist Mill / (18.6x26.15)) 1864	L	6738	7275
13	AMERICAN FARM SCENES / No.4 (Winter) (16.13x23.15) 1853, N. Currier	L	136	149
14	AMERICAN NATIONAL GAME OF BASEBALL, THE / (19.14x29.14) 1866	L	180	194
15	AMERICAN WINTER SPORTS / Trout Fishing "On Chateaugay Lake" / (First State) (Prtd. Endicott) 1856, N.Currier	L	210	224
16	MINK TRAPPING / "Prime" / (19.1x27.12) 1862	L	4139	4502
17	PREPARING FOR MARKET / (Child in doorway, no toy.) (18.11x27.4) 1856, N. Currier	L	4870	5280
18	WINTER IN THE COUNTRY / Getting Ice / (18.8x27.1) 1864	L	6737	7274
19	ACROSS THE CONTINENT / (17.14x27.6) 1868	L	33	39
20	LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE / The Trapper's Defense / (18.7x27.2) 1862	L	3528	3797
21	MIDNIGHT RACE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, A / (18.7x28.2) 1860	L	4116	4476
22	ROAD - WINTER, THE / (17.11x26.8) 1853, N. Currier	L	5171	5613
23	SUMMER SCENES IN NEW YORK HARBOR / (17.4x27.10) 1863	L	5876	6343
24	"TROTTING CRACKS" AT THE FORGE / (19.6x29.5) 1869	L	6169	6651
25	VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA / (14.14x29.14) 1851, N. Currier	L	6409	6923
26	SHIPS ANTARCTIC OF NEW YORK AND THREE BELLS / 1854, N. Currier	L	5492	7344
27	TAKING THE BACK TRACK / (17.6x26.6) 1866	L	5961	6430
28	AMERICAN FIELD SPORTS / "Flush'd" / (18.9x26.14) 1857	L	149	162
29	AMERICAN HUNTING SCENES / "A Good Chance" / (18.10x27.11) 1863	L	174	186
30	AMERICAN WINTER SCENES / Morning / (16.8x24.1) 1854 N. Currier	L	208	222
31	AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND / (14.13x25.4) 1866	L	322	350
32	CATCHING A TROUT / "We Hab You Now, Sar!" / (18.5x25.12) 1854, N. Currier	L	845	938
33	CLIPPER SHIP "NIGHTINGALE" / (16.5x24) 1854, N. Currier	L	1159	1276
34	LIFE OF A FIREMAN / The Night Alarm / (16.14x25.14) 1854, N. Currier	L	3518	3786
35	MAC AND ZACHARY TAYLOR / (12.10x20.13) 1851, N. Currier	L	3848	4175
36	NEW ENGLAND WINTER SCENE / (16.7x23.10) 1861	L	4420	4801
37	RAIL SHOOTING ON THE DELAWARE / (12.14x20.2) 1852, N. Currier	L	5054	5481
38	SNOWED UP - RUFFED GROUSE IN WINTER / (15x20.6) 1867	L	5581	5976
39	SURRENDER OF GENL. BURGOYNE AT SARATOGA, N.Y. / (15.12x24.13) 1852, N. Currier	L	5907	6371
40	SURRENDER OF CORNWALLIS AT YORKTOWN, VA. / (15.13x24.15) 1852, N. Currier	L	5906	6378
41	CLIPPER SHIP "RED JACKET" / (16.4x23.12) 1855, N. Currier	L	1165	1283
42	AMERICAN WINTER SPORTS / "Deer Shooting "On Shattagee" / (17.14x25.14) 1855 N.Currier	L	209	223
43	BARK THEOXENA, THE / (17x24.6) (Extremely Rare) C. Currier	L	371	412
44	CARES OF A FAMILY, THE / (18.6x22.12) 1856, N. Currier	L	814	907
45	CELEBRATED HORSE LEXINGTON / (18.13x26.6) 1855, N. Currier	L	887	979
46	GRAND DRIVE CENTRAL PARK, NY, THE / (17.7x27.15) 1869	L	2481	2693
47	GREAT FIRE AT CHICAGO / (16.14x24.8) 1871	L	2615	2835
48	LANDSCAPE FRUIT AND FLOWERS / (F. Palmer, del.) (19.12x27.8) 1862	L	3440	3710
49	LIFE OF A FIREMAN / The Metropolitan System / (17x26.4) 1866	L	3516	3784
50	SPLENDID NAVAL TRIUMPH ON THE MISSISSIPPI / 1862	L	5659	6060

Rank	Title / sub title - Image area measurements = inches.16ths - date	Folio	Conn	Gale
1	EXPRESS TRAIN, THE / (J. Schutz, del.) (7.12x12.14) N. Currier	S	1790	1947
2	AMERICAN RAILROAD SCENE / Snowbound / (8.8x12.7) 1871	S	187	201
3	BEACH SNIPE SHOOTING / (11.14x15) 1869	M	445	496
4	ICE-BOAT RACE ON THE HUDSON /	S	3021	3258
5	CENTRAL PARK IN WINTER / (Moonlight Scene) (8.8x12.7)	S	948	1041
6	STAR OF THE ROAD, THE / (8.5x12.11) 1849, N. Currier	S	5701	6110
7	HIGH BRIDGE AT HARLEM, NY / (Horse & Buggy) (8.3x12.11) 1849, N. Currier	S	2810	3039
8	MAPLE SUGARING / (8.7x12.8) 1872	S	3975	4305
9	SHAKERS NEAR LEBANON / (8x12.12) N. Currier	S	5475	5875
10	WINTER SPORTS -- PICKEREL FISHING / (8.7x12.8) 1872	S	6747	7285
11	AMERICAN CLIPPER SHIP WITCH OF THE WAVE / (8.14x12.14)	S	115	127
12	GOLD MINING IN CALIFORNIA / (8.8x12.8) 1871	S	2412	2622
13	GREAT INTERNATIONAL BOAT RACE (8x12.7)	S	2623	2842
14	WILD TURKEY SHOOTING / (8.6x12.8) 1871	S	6677	7219
15	PERRY'S VICTORY ON LAKE ERIE / N. Currier	S	4754	5153
16	WASHINGTON AT MOUNT VERNON / (12.7x8.3) 1852, N. Currier	S	6515	7051
17	WHALE FISHERY, THE "Laying On" / 1852, N. Currier	S	6626	7163
18	CHATHAM SQUARE, NEW YORK / (8.1x12.10) N. Currier	S	1020	1118
19	WATER RAIL SHOOTING / #176 / (8.2x12.11) 1855, N. Currier	S	6567	7098
20	SLEIGH RACE, THE / #90 / (8.6x11.14) 1848, N. Currier	S	5554	5949
21	FRANKLIN'S EXPERIMENT / (8.7x12.7) 1876	S	2128	2305
22	WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE / #69 / (8.5x12.5)	S	6523	7060
23	AMERICAN HOMESTEAD - WINTER / (8x12.8) 1868	S	172	185
24	WASHINGTON TAKING LEAVE OF THE OFFICERS OF HIS ARMY / (8.10x12.7) N. Currier	S	6547	7086
25	STEAMBOAT KNICKERBOCKER / (8.4x13) N. Currier	S	5727	6135
26	KISS ME QUICK / #700 / (8.14X11.9)	S	3349	3615
27	ON THE MISSISSIPPI / LOADING COTTON / (7.15x12.7) 1870	S	4607	5004
28	BOUND DOWN THE RIVER / (7.14x12.7) 1870	S	627	702
29	AMERICAN WHALERS CRUSHED IN ICE / (8.8x12.8)	S	205	219
30	DARTMOUTH COLLEGE / (8.5x12.13) 1834, N. Currier (Rare)	S	1446	1571
31	TERRIFIC COMBAT BETWEEN THE MONITOR 2 GUNS, AND MERRIMAC 10 GUNS / (7.13x12.12) 1862	S	5997	6463
32	GENERAL FRANCIS MARION / (8.8x12.8) 1876	S	2250	2438
33	WASHINGTON / (3/4 Length.)	M	6506	7027
34	BLACK BASS SPEARING / (11.6x15.14)	M	543	610
35	ART OF MAKING MONEY / (Rebus)	S	275	300
36	EARLY WINTER / (9.10x16.15) 1869	M	1652	1790
37	HON. ABRAHAM LINCOLN / (Republican Candidate) (12.4x9) (Oval) 1860	S	2895	3128
38	WOODCOCK SHOOTING / #175 / (8x12.10) 1855, N. Currier	S	6773	7322
39	GREAT CONFLAGRATION AT PITTSBURGH, PA / (8.3x12.8) (2nd state) N. Currier	S	2581	2799
40	"DUTCHMAN" AND "HIRAM WOODRUFF" / (Vig.) 1871	S	1640	1782
41	DESTRUCTION OF TEA AT BOSTON HARBOR / 1846, N. Currier	S	1571	1706
42	BEAR HUNTING / (Winter Scene) (8.6x12.4)	S	446	497
43	LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH MASS, DEC. 22 / (Group standing at top of hill) (8.15x12.13) 1876	S	3435	3705
44	BENJAMIN FRANKLIN / The Statesman and Philosopher / 1847, N. Currier	S	499	562
45	NOAH'S ARK / #20 / (Sarony del.) (8.4x12.9) N. Currier	S	4494	4870
46	CORNWALLIS IS TAKEN / (8.12x12.11) 1876	S	1258	1380
47	BLOOMER COSTUME, THE / (11.10x8.5) 1851, N. Currier	S	573	641
48	CLIPPER YACHT "AMERICA" OF NY / N. Currier	S	1176	1293
49	BLACK EYED SUSAN / #102 / (11.11x8.13) 1848, N. Currier	S	551	616
50	GREAT FIGHT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP BETWEEN JOHN C. HEENAN "THE BENICIA BOY" AND TOM SAYERS / (Vig.)	S	2613	2833