James Merritt Ives (March 5, 1824 – January 3, 1895) was an American

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

, bookkeeper, and businessman. He oversaw the business and financial side of the firm,

Currier and Ives Currier and Ives was a New York City printmaking business that operated between 1835 and 1907. Founded by Nathaniel Currier, the company designed and sold inexpensive, hand painted lithographic works based on news events, views of popular cultu ...

, which he co-managed with his business partner,

Nathaniel Currier Nathaniel Currier (March 27, 1813 – November 20, 1888) was an American lithographer. He headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives. Early years Currier was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel and Hannah Currier. He attended ...

Biography

Ives was born on March 5, 1824 in New York City, New York. His father worked as the superintendent of

Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States b ...

in New York City. A self-trained artist, Ives's art education included visits to art galleries and the

Astor Library The Astor Library was a free public library in the East Village, Manhattan, developed primarily through the collaboration of New York City merchant John Jacob Astor and New England educator and bibliographer Joseph Cogswell. It was primarily me ...

. Although he went to work at the age of 12, he continued his art education on his own. On June 24, 1846, he married Caroline Clark (1827–1896). The couple had six children, two sons and four daughters. Caroline was the sister-in-law of Nathaniel Currier's brother, Charles Currier. Charles recommended Ives to Nathaniel, who hired him as a bookkeeper in 1852 for his firm, N. Currier, Lithographer.The Old Print Shop http://www.oldprintshop.com/artists/currier-ives-j_m_ives.htm It soon became apparent that Ives' talent as an artist and artistic knowledge gave him valuable insight into what the public wanted, and his skills in business and marketing contributed significantly to the growth of the company. Ives helped to improve and modernize Currier's bookkeeping methods, reorganize the firm's inventory, and streamline production methods.The Enduring Appeal of Currier and Ives Prints http://www.howmuchisitworth.com/currier-and-ives.html In 1857, Currier offered Ives a full partnership in the firm, now called Currier and Ives, and made the younger man the general manager. In his new position Ives helped Currier interview potential artists and craftsman, and select images that the firm would publish. It was Ives who encouraged production of the idealized images of daily middle class American life that made the firm so successful.Currier and Ives: An American Panorama http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/6aa/6aa162.htm The firm of Currier and Ives was known for its popular and affordable art prints of subjects such as winter scenes, landscapes, sporting events, ships, and icons of 19th century life. These prints are still widely sought after by collectors today. Ives worked over forty years at the firm until his death in

Rye, New York Rye is a coastal suburb of New York City in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the Town of Rye, which has more land area than the city. The City of Rye, formerly the Village of Rye, was part of the Town until it r ...

in 1895. He is buried in

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...

, New York. After Ives's death, his sons and Currier's sons continued to manage the firm until it was liquidated in 1907.

External links

Image of James Ives at the Library of CongressHistory of the FirmThe Currier & Ives Foundation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ives, James Merritt 1824 births 1895 deaths American lithographers Bookkeepers Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery