The History of the Poster

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.
             Between 1918 and 1939 the designers would suit the need of the art movements of the time, ie Cubism, Expressionism and also Surrealism. Paul Collins and E McKnight Kaufer perhaps made the most memorable contribution of that time. Once again, with World War II the need for patriotic posters was reborn. Since then posters have become contemporary art pieces and people now wish to collect them, perhaps because well known artists" work can be purchased cheaply. Among the most famous were Andy Warhol, Sol Steinberg, Tommy Ungerer, Peter Max and finally Sol Bass.
             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.
             The first is called "Sun Mad" which was drawn by Ester Hernandez. It is based on the "Sun Maid Raisins" packet because on first glance it seems this is the case and this is what is being advertised. However, as we look closer we see that the woman is not a "Sun Maid", she is actually in the form of a skeleton. It looks as if the grape picker that we think it is, has emerged in to a skeleton. The slogan "Sun Maid Raisins" unnaturally grown with Insecticides, Miticides, Herbicides, Fungicides" is clever in the way that it is almost identical to the original phrase.