A collection of rare, original Currier & Ives lithographs are on display through June at Watkins Community Museum of History, 1047 Mass.

The display, called “The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives,” includes 30 lithographs that illustrate harness racing’s important role in American culture. The prints depict trotting horses, bucolic mid-19th century scenes and comedic adventures that convey a picturesque view of Americana before the development of photography.

The exhibit is on loan from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame.

Nathaniel Currier and James Ives became business partners in 1857.