"Triumphs of America"

1881

A large hand-colored print entitled “Triumphs of America” (American, 1881). At each corner the print depicts four British horse racing scenes (the Grand Prix and Cesarewitch on the left and St. Ledger and Cambridgeshire on the right), and the Epsom Derby taking place at center. A central medallion at the top depicts four jockeys, at the top of this grouping is Fred Archer dressed in red and black, below him are W. Macdonald, George Fordham, and John Watts dressed in white with blue polka dots. Below the Epsom Derby scene is an eagle clutching two American flags and the motto “E. Pluribus Unum.” The print is mated and housed within a gilt oak frame.

In 1881 the horse Iroquois became the first American-bred Thoroughbred to win the prestigious Epsom Derby at Epsom Downs in Surrey, England. The horse was owned by tobacco manufacturer Pierre Lorillard (1833-1901) and jockeyed by Fred Archer (1857-1886). Also known as “The Tin Man”, Archer was one of the most successful jockeys of the Victorian era.

American

print on paper

wood frame

33" x 39.5"

Purchased by The Preservation Society of Newport County, 1969.

PSNC.4953