image: 18 1/8 in x 24 7/8 in; 46.0375 cm x 63.1825 cm
Object Name:
lithograph
Object Type:
Lithograph
Place made:
United States: New York, New York City
Date made:
1870
Description (Brief):
Color print of horses and carriages in a traffic jam on a road leading to a race track visible in the distance.
Description:
A hand colored print of horses and carriages in a traffic-jam on a dirt road leading to a race track (Fleetwood Park, NY). The men and women are well dressed. Vehicles include sulkys, a deep side box buggy, and a coach for four passengers and three liverymen. The roadside house has shattered windows, a shed roof, a veranda, and a semicircular vent in the attic. The grandstand has two balconies. A park in the distance is enclosed by a picket fence. The surrounding area has wooded rolling hills.
Fleetwood Park Racetrack was a trotting track maintained by the Driving Club of NY. While open, it boasted an exclusive membership, which included William K. Venderbilt and William Rockafeller. It closed in 1898.
Thomas Kelly, of New York City, was one of the more successful publishers of the period, creating archetypal and idyllic views of all areas of life in America. Kelly's work is distinctive for strong coloring and vivid, forthright compositions.