ExclusiveNathaniel Currier: The Pioneer of Illustrated News

Before photographs appeared in newspapers, people had no way to see the scene.

In this episode of American Legends, Tiffany Brannan explores the life of Nathaniel Currier, the pioneering American printer who helped introduce illustrated news to the public.

Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1813, Currier began working at a young age after the death of his father. As a teenager, he apprenticed in one of America’s earliest lithographic printing shops, learning the innovative technique of lithography.

Currier soon realized that printed images could bring current events to life. In the 1830s, he began producing dramatic prints depicting disasters and major news stories — allowing Americans to see events that happened hundreds of miles away.

His breakthrough came in 1840 with a famous print of the tragic steamboat Lexington disaster. The print caught the attention of the New York Sun, which began publishing Currier’s illustrations in a weekly feature called The Extra Sun, widely considered the first illustrated newspaper page.

Currier’s work transformed the way Americans experienced news and laid the groundwork for the illustrated journalism and photojournalism that would follow.

This episode explores:

• The early history of illustrated news
• The invention of lithography
• Currier’s disaster prints
• The first illustrated newspaper feature
• The origins of American visual journalism

Discover the story of Nathaniel Currier, the man whose prints helped bring pictures into the news.

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