Print:The Life of a Sportsman: Camping in the Woods

Currier & Ives became the nation's most prolific lithographers by producing images that spoke to the hearts of average Americans. The rapid industrialization of American cities in the 19th century changed the pace of life. As machines sped up work and rising prosperity allowed middle-class Americans to enjoy less physically demanding occupations, fears rose about both the accelerated pace of life and the apparent decline in Americans' physical health. In an effort to soothe the strains of urban living in an increasingly industrialized America, more and more middle-class Americans ventured outdoors in the late 19th century. Combining the vigor of athletic activity with the tranquility of the great outdoors, camping became a favorite vacation activity for many well-off Victorian Americans, especially after the 1869 publication of W. H. H. Murray's wildly popular book, "Adventures in the Wilderness." With little or no mention of the potentially rugged character of the outdoors, Murray's nostalgic presentation of nature stimulated what contemporaries called "Murray's Rush" to such areas as the Catskills, the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains. Ever attuned to popular interests, Currier & Ives produced hundreds of outdoor scenes like this one.