When I think of Currier & Ives lithographs, I think of serene country scenes and charming homesteads. But when Nathaniel Currier opened his own print shop in New York City, some of his first experimental lithographs were of disaster scenes, the earliest of which is believed to be "Ruins of the Planter's Hotel, New Orleans," published in 1835. He also published portraits and memorial prints, but the lithograph that really launched his business and his shop, N. Currier, Lithographs, was "Awful Conflagration of the Steamboat Lexington," which was published in 1840 in conjunction with the “New York Sun,” then New York's largest newspaper, under the banner “The Extra Sun.” The demand for this lithograph was the first major financial success for Currier's shop (this is an extremely condensed history of Nathaniel Currier's career).
Currier hired James Merritt Ives as a bookkeeper in 1852; by 1857 he became a full partner and the name of the business was changed to Currier & Ives. Ives had a great understanding and knowledge of art, he knew what the public wanted and he was able to impart that to the firm's many artists. Although the firm survived until 1907, it produced the most famous artwork and the largest volume of works between 1850 and 1880.
Currier & Ives published over 7,000 images during the 73-year life of the firm. According to The Old Print Shop (www.oldprintshop.com), their lithographs sold for as little as 20-cents each for small hand-colored folios, $3 to $5 for large folios and $6 for 100 uncolored black-and-white small folios; the firm only published images they calculated would sell at least 100 impressions. Their advertisements invited the public to view their "catalogue of cheap, popular prints." They referred to themselves as "printmakers to the people" and their works as "engravings for the people."
One of the highest prices paid for a Currier & Ives print was for "A Tight Fix," which sold for $63,000 in 1993. Some experts estimate that over 75 percent of the Currier & Ives prints in the market are reproductions, so it's important to know how to recognize them. Original Currier & Ives lithographs were printed in black and white, then colored by hand (there were only a few chromolithographs issued). The hand-colorists were typically unskilled young women, and therefore the coloring wasn't always neat, straying outside the intended boundaries within the image and using a limited number of colors (the exception being their large folio lithographs, which were hand-colored by skilled artists). Hand-coloring produced brush strokes on the image; using magnification, you can sometimes see tiny spots of white where the paper is naturally dimpled and the color didn't reach. Lithographs that were displayed on walls were subject to fading, so you may see once-green tree colors looking more bluish - that's because basic colors were mixed together to create more colors. In the case of green, yellow and blue were mixed and the yellow used by Currier & Ives tends to fade away completely, leaving a bluish tone where green originally stood.
When it comes to Currier & Ives lithographs, size matters - a lot. The majority of reproductions have the wrong measurements, though there are some that are sized correctly, so you still have to check for other issues. Compare the measurements of the piece you're interested in against the measurements for that specific title given in reference books. A size difference of more than one-quarter of an inch should raise the flag of caution. However, many Currier & Ives lithographs were printed on irregularly-sized paper that wouldn't fit into standard size frames, so edges may have been shaved off or cut down significantly. The amount of trimming that's been done does affect the value of the piece.
More obvious things that can sometimes be overlooked because of the print being so small are phrases like "Reprinted from...," "From the collection of...," "Courtesy of...," etcetera; you may also see a different publisher's name either alone or along with Currier & Ives', another indication of a reproduction. Also, reproductions of Currier & Ives prints began being made in the 1930s (and continue to the present day), so signs of age are not determining factors of authenticity. In fact, Currier & Ives prints are among the most heavily reproduced images in history, according to Gary Kunkelman, Ph.D.
It is important to note that Currier & Ives only produced lithographs, not novelty objects like glassware, calendars, etc., nor did the firm authorize the use of their images on these items. Although many of their images do appear on such items, including pieces produced in the 19th century and forward, they are not original Currier & Ives pieces.

At A Glance:
Signs of a reproduction:
1. Incorrect size.
2. Dot matrix printing.
3. Incorrect or contemporary information in the fine print.
4. Differences in title wording from known originals.
5. Another publisher's name alone or with Currier & Ives.

Reference books, websites and collecting groups are the best ways to keep from being fooled by fakes. Here are a few: “Currier & Ives Prints: An Illustrated Check List” by Frederic A. Conningham; “Currier & Ives Lithographs: Value Guide” by George Cohenour; Currier and Ives (www.currierandives.com).