Frances Palmer

1812-1876

American (London, England; New York, New York)

Frances Flora Bond Palmer, often referred to as Fanny Palmer, was a British woman artist, born in England, educated in London. In the 1840s, she and her husband immigrated to the United States, settling in New York City. Palmer had studied art and soon found work as an illustrator specializing in lithography. By 1849 she was working for Nathaniel Currier. During the 1850s, she produced a number of folios illustrating the American landscape and rural life. When James M. Ives joined Currier's firm in 1857, she collaborated with him on a number of views. During the 1860s Palmer specialized in still life images.

While working for Currier and Ives, she produced more than two hundred lithographs, making the initial designs and drawings on the lithographic stones. Frequently reproduced, Palmer's images were popular with the American public. In addition to folios, her compositions were used as images for calendars, greeting cards, and advertisements. Despite the widespread recognition of her work, Palmer died in obscurity.

Artist profile image: Frances Flora Palmer, before 1876. Harriet Endicott Waite research material relating to Currier & Ives, 1923-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.