The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives

The Museums of Oglebay Institute present the exhibit “The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives.”

The uniquely American sport of harness racing predates baseball as America’s favorite pastime. “The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives” illustrates the important role harness racing played in American culture and history.

It is on display in the Sauder Gallery of Oglebay Institute’s Mansion Museum through January 5, 2025.

About the Exhibit

“The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives” consists of more than 30 lithographs which illustrate harness racing’s important role in American culture and history. Prints depicting great trotting horses, bucolic mid-18th century scenes and comedic adventures convey a picturesque view of Americana prior to the advent and development of photography.

Included in the exhibit are more than thirty framed original Currier & Ives lithographs, text panels, brochures, educational programming, a publicity guide and more.

The “What is Harness Racing?” Poster Series consists of six colorful framed posters illustrating the uniquely American sport of harness racing. The posters provide a descriptive introduction to the American Standardbred horse and its historic bloodlines, the breed’s great progenitor Hambletonian 10, as well as the most significant foundation sires of both trotters and pacers. Also included is a comprehensive timeline of important harness racing milestones from 1788 to the present time.

Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, Goshen, NY
The Harness Racing Museum is dedicated to the protection of harness racing’s memories and to the support of the Standardbred industry. Annually, more than 20,000 visitors experience fine art, historical memorabilia, interactive exhibits and informative films, while the Museum’s free traveling exhibits have been enjoyed by an audience of over 1.2 million in North America and Europe. In addition to more than 40,000 harness racing artifacts, the Museum is the repository of the world’s largest collection of Currier & Ives trotting prints.

See the Exhibit

“The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives” is included with admission to the Mansion Museum

Admission is $15 for both museums (Mansion and Glass Museum); $10 for a single museum. Admission is free for ages 17 and under accompanied by an adult and free to Oglebay Institute members.

The Museums of Oglebay Institute are open 10am-5pm daily from April- through the first week in November, with expanded weekend hours during Oglebay’s Festival of Lights. For year-round hours, click here.

Call 304-242-7272 for more information.

About the Museums of Oglebay Institute

At the Museums of Oglebay Institute, the universal human experience of storytelling is interwoven with our inherent desire to gather, sort and display things. By meticulously collecting, caring for, showcasing and interpreting objects, the museums discover, preserve and share stories, linking us to the past in tangible and intangible ways.

Before the iconic 1846 yellow mansion became the first accredited museum in West Virginia, it was the summer home of Cleveland industrialist Earl W. Oglebay. Today, as Oglebay Institute’s Mansion Museum, it invites visitors to connect with history and the people who lived it.

Each of the museum’s thirteen period rooms takes guests on a journey through the lives of the people who might have used the objects inside—and the historic events that marked the times.

Across the hill, Oglebay Institute’s Glass Museum celebrates local industry with more than 3,500 pieces of Wheeling-made glass. From walking sticks to everyday dishes to the world’s largest piece of cut lead glass, the collection functions as a visual narrative of the Ohio Valley’s long legacy of glassmaking and the craftsmen who made it possible. Visitors can also experience the art of glassmaking through live demonstrations and workshops in OI’s glass studio.

Through careful curation, the Museums of Oglebay Institute go beyond exhibition to education. Together, they serve as informal classrooms where visitors travel through time, connecting with the past through the things that people have left behind.