If you look the term “poster” up in the dictionary you will find the meaning “large picture displayed in a public place”. The word “poster” was originally used in 1838 in England. Back then it referred to a “printed sheet of paper that combined test and illustration”. They were used for the purpose of advertisement or in announcement. At first they were simple designs but over time artists became more ambitious as they strove to become recognised.

Nowadays posters are used for decorative purposes. A lot of the time there is no text only the pictorial element. Although posters are now mostly used for advertisement, occasionally there is genuine poster art created solely for pleasure to look at. Most posters use photographs now rather than the traditional method.

Around 1845 the mass production of posters came into play which was done by a power press and could print up to 10,000 sheets of paper an hour by the use of colour lithography. This was a process in which a greasy crayon was used to draw on a piece of limestone, then the lines

The two posters I have chosen are two very different posters but with one thing in common. They both have something drawn in them which is the main focus of the drawing that you do not see at first glance.

would attract and hold an oily or greasy ink when the stone was wet. This could then be reproduced on a suitable piece of paper when rolled onto the stone.

However, when the outbreak of world war one came about, poster designs were set on completely different task because David Lloyd George, who was the Prime Minister at this time needed the support of the people in order to go to war. The triple alliance (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary) and the triple entente (Britain, France and Russia) produced powerful posters which communicated strong views in order to boost morale in the way of propaganda. Perhaps the most famous of all these poster was Alfred Leetes’ portrayal of General Kitchener named “Your country needs you”. This poster was used to encourage people to sign up for Kitchener’s forces. This poster inspired the American replication of it, produced by James Montgomery-Flagg. His drawing of the stereotype American “Uncle Sam” was called “I want you” which was also a gripping image of the man pointing and when you look from a different angle, it look almost as if it is following you.

A man called Jules Cheret was one artist to take advantage of this process. He was working in England when he first saw the American circus design posters, which were lively, and bright posters that were crudely designed and garishly coloured. Jules Cheret was persistent on bringing his fellow designers into thinking alike, the same as him. By the mid 1870s he had convinced the critics and the public t

Some topics in this essay:
History Poster, Ancona Little, Maid Raisins”, War II, Jules Cheret, James Montgomery-Flagg, Alfred Leetes’, Herbicides Fungicides”, Sol Bass, France Russia, “sun maid, world war, “sun maid raisins”, maid raisins”, world war ii, grown …………”, jules cheret, history poster, support people, hanging background, “this enemy”, poster encourage people, poster encourage,