The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles.

Q: When was "The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles." created?

This artwork was created 1868–78.

Q: Is "The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles." in the public domain?

Yes, The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles. is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Currier & Ives

1868–78

The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles. by Currier & Ives

Medium

Hand-colored lithograph

Dimensions

Image: 8 1/4 × 12 9/16 in. (20.9 × 31.9 cm) Sheet: 12 1/16 × 16 3/8 in. (30.7 × 41.6 cm)

Classification

Prints

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Bequest of Adele S. Colgate, 1962

Accession Number

63.550.405

Rights

Public Domain

View on museum website →

Tags

RiversBoats

Art Historical Context

This vibrant hand-colored lithograph by Currier & Ives captures of the most legendary rivalries on the Mississippi River: the1870 race between the steamboats *R.E. Lee*, captained by John W. Cannon, and the *Natchez*, under Captain Thomas P. Leathers. Printed between 1868 and 1878, it commemorates the *R.E. Lee*'s triumphant victory, covering 1,210 miles from New to St. Louis in three days, 18 hours, and 30 minutes. the height of the steamboat era, such races thrilled crowds along the riverbanks, symbolizing American innovation, speed, and the romantic allure of paddlewheelers before railroads eclipsed them. Currier & Ives, the preeminent 19th-century American printmakers, excelled in affordable lithographs like this one, hand-tinted by skilled artisans to bring scenes to life with vivid blues, golds, and whites evoking churning waters and billowing smoke. Measuring about 8 by 12 inches, these "prints for the people" democratized art, adorning middle-class homes and taverns. This piece, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects the firm's knack for blending historical drama with patriotic pride, preserving a fleeting chapter of frontier commerce and adventure. (198 words)

The Great Mississippi Steamboat Race–From New Orleans to St. Louis, July 1870–Between the R.E. Lee, Captain John W. Cannon and Natchez Captain Leathers–Won by the R.E. Lee, Time: 3 Days 18 Hours and 30 Minutes; Distance 1210 Miles.

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