This 1872 lithograph depicted a domestic scene of Saint Patrick's day celebrations in 19th century America. Text a the bottom of the image reads "Commemorative of Irland's [sic] unswerving fidelity to her ancient religion and the devotion of her exiled children to the sacred principles of her freedom and redemption as a nation".
The image also contains a number of references to the holiday and immigration experience; note the clover on the child's lapel, the young girl's banner reading "God Save Ireland", the parade visible through the window, as well as a flag, artwork, statuette, and other iconography placed around the interior of the room.
The print was based on a painting by John Reid and published by the Philadelphia-based lithography firm of Duval & Hunter. The company, formed in 1869, was the result of a partnership of Stephen Duval and Thomas Hunter. Stephen was the son of Peter S. Duval, a French immigrant who migrated to Philadelphia in 1831 to work as a lithographer for the printing firm of Childs & Inman.
By 1837, Peter had established his own lithography business and, by the time of his retirement in 1869, had become the city's most celebrated and prominent lithographer. He has been especially praised for his pioneering work in the art of color printing. On his retirement, his son Stephen took over the business and partnered with Thomas Hunter out of a production studio at 223 South Fifth Street until around 1872, when they relocated to 716 Filbert Street.
The firm specialized in the creation of membership certificates and chromolithographic parlor prints like the image seen here until 1874, when Stephen Duval left the firm and the city. Thomas Hunter remained in the business locally.
This item is Accession 2011.235 in Hagley Library's Audiovisual and Digital Initiatives Department.