The Turning of the Tune 1870

"The Turning of the Tune" was created by Currier and Ives, whose prints captured mid-19th-century American life. It’s a seemingly simple scene, but look closer. What stories does it tell about the roles of people in that era? Notice the central male figure, caught in mid-dance, fueled by whiskey from the nearby establishment. His wild abandon contrasts sharply with the woman standing in the doorway, a silent observer. Is she his wife? What does her stillness suggest about her power, or lack thereof, within this domestic space? Consider the musician on horseback. What does this image say about the power of music to disrupt social norms? How does it influence the community’s behavior and interactions? Note how the children and the dog are drawn to the music, the woman appears unmoved, and the man dances. Is the artwork celebrating or critiquing the scene it represents? This print invites us to consider the complexities of gender, class, and social life in 19th-century America. It reveals the emotional tensions that existed between freedom and constraint, joy and resignation, in a society undergoing rapid transformation.