Across the Continent, Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way – Antique Print
(Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
This historic image of Across the Continent, Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way brings a moment of history to your wall. It is part of the Snapshots of the Past archive, gathered over 25 years of research.
Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
Across the Continent, Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way
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The title borrows a line from George Berkeley's 1726 poem on planting arts and learning in America, "Westward the course of empire takes its way," and adds "Across the Continent" to tie that idea to the westward push of the 1860s. This Currier & Ives print, issued in 1868, belongs to a body of popular prints that celebrated railroads, settlement and expansion. Those years saw the transcontinental railroad nearing completion, which made the idea of crossing the continent feel both immediate and triumphant to many Americans. Viewers today often read such images as expressions of national optimism, and also as a record of how the West was pictured for an eastern audience.
| Original scan | 5,849 × 4,607 px · prints to 19 × 15 in at 300 dpi |
|---|---|
| Reference | 03213u |
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Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.
![[Study for Westward Ho!" showing figures with wagon train from "Westward the course of empire takes its way"]"](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/7f/7f7d9f127fbf-400.webp)
