Nathanial Currier was a pioneering figure in American lithography, having learned the craft from the Pendletons, the first successful lithographers in the United States, who had recently adopted the technique from Europe. In 1833, he began his career working for M. E. D. Brown in Philadelphia. The following year, Currier relocated to New York City with the intention of starting a new venture with John Pendleton. However, when Pendleton withdrew from the partnership, the business became Currier & Stodart, which operated for just one year.