Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
maker
Currier, Nathaniel
ID Number
DL.60.2929
catalog number
60.2929
accession number
228146
Description
This black and white print is of a life membership to a Mr. Philip J.A. Harper issued by the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Society, begun in 1820 and headquartered in New York City, was among the earliest organizations that focused on mission within and outside the United States. It initially worked to convert Native Americans and slaves before extending its activities to inhabitants of West Africa and elsewhere overseas.
A vignette depicting missionary activity appears above the text that was inspired by the Society’s proselytizing during the 19th Century. On the right side is a depiction of Native Americans and Africans who were “saved” due to the preaching of a missionary. The left side shows the damnation that comes to those who fail to hear God’s word. Above the scene floats a triumphant angel sent by God who is blowing a trumpet, Bible in hand.
This print was produced by Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888). Currier was the founder of the company that eventually became the Currier & Ives lithography firm. At the age of fifteen Currier apprenticed with the Pendleton lithography firm in New York City. Five years later he moved to Philadelphia to work with the lithographer M.E.D. Brown (1810-1896). After a year Currier moved back to New York, where he intended on going into business with one of the Pendleton brothers. Instead he formed a partnership in 1834 with Adam Stodart who was in the sheet music business. Within a year he opened his own lithography company on Wall Street and then moved to Nassau and Spruce. In 1852 a bookkeeper named James Merritt Ives joined the firm. He married Charles Currier’s sister-in-law and brought to the firm a critical eye and business acumen. In five years he had become a partner. Currier & Ives would become arguably the most successful and prodigious lithography firm of the 19th century. Although especially well known for prints celebrating American landscapes and pastimes like sailing and ice skating, Currier & Ives also produced lithographs that featured current events, social issues and political controversies
Grisham's Quartet. side 1: When the Mighty Trumpet Sounds; side 2: Redeeming Star (Bluebird B-5271). 78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1929 and initially released on Victor V-40295.
Large, inverted trumpet shape, lidded and spouted flagon with molded rim and midband on three cast cherub-head feet. Double-domed lid with heart-shaped cover over the inset, V-shaped, curvilinear spout. Hollow S-scroll handle with scrollback thumb piece, ridged and tongued thumbrest, and lower bud terminal with oval attachment. Bottom underside struck once with a large touchmark of Johann Christophe Heyne.
Maker is Johann Cristoph Heyne (1715-1781), a Saxon-born and -trained pewterer who was also a Moravian minister and teacher. He worked briefly in Germany (now part of Poland), Stockholm and London before immigrating to America in 1742 as part of the first group of Moravians to settle in Pennsylvania. He lived in Bethlehem and Tulpehocken, traveled to Dublin, Ireland as a missionary and finally made his home in Lancaster around 1752. Almost all of the roughly 100 known pieces of Heyne pewter are for ecclesiastical use.
