Burning of the Henry Clay Near Yonkers–While on Her Trip From Albany to New York on Wednesday Afternoon July 28th, 1852.–The rapid spread of the flames forced the passengers into the water. Mothers and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters were drowned together, whilst trying to save each other. Little children buffetted the waves in vain for a few moments, and then sunk to rise no more. Persons on board about 500 of which number nearly 100 are supposed to have perished. 1852

Nathaniel Currier made this lithograph print depicting the tragic burning of the Henry Clay steamboat in 1852. Lithography is a printmaking process using a flat stone or metal plate on which the image areas are worked using a greasy substance, so that the ink will adhere to them, while the non-image areas are made ink-repellent. Here, the vivid flames and desperate figures struggling in the water are rendered with remarkable detail. The print's success depended on Currier's ability to mass-produce compelling images quickly and affordably. This process democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience. The print’s emotional impact reveals much about the industrial era, where technological progress came at a great cost. This wasn't a unique event, but it does serve as a potent reminder of the human cost of industrial expansion, and the need for safety and regulation in a rapidly changing world.