Sergo Grigorian Collection

“This collection boasts more than 1000 Soviet political posters spanning the whole Soviet era from February 1917 to December 1991.

Sergo Grigorian has meticulously constructed a collection of political posters, deliberately disregarding other interesting Soviet themes such as cinema, circus, theatre, sports and advertising (except those with clear underlying political meaning). In addition, Sergo Grigorian collects a wide range of literature and photographic materials related to the Soviet poster. Most recent acquisitions are found at the top of the general list of posters.

You can view the collection by catalogue number, year and author. All the posters are divided into groups and subgroups by category, historical period, author, series (e.g. The Fighting Pencil series), place of publication or edition, style, technique of manufacture etc.”

Visit site

Visual Culture and Public Health Posters

This online exhibit is designed to introduce you to the history of images used in public health posters in the twentieth century. It utilizes the world’s largest collection of poster art dealing with questions of health in the United States, housed at the National Library of Medicine. Many of these images can also be viewed through the Images from the History of Medicine (IHM) homepage. The exhibit is divided into two sections that focus on infectious diseases and environmental health concerns, revealing how posters provide an effective medium for communicating information about disease, identifying risk factors, and promoting behavioral change. Two sections on HIV/AIDS education and anti-smoking campaigns provide expanded examinations of public health campaigns that have used a variety of political, psychological, moral, cultural, and economic strategies to achieve their desired aims. By examining the history and function of public health posters, the exhibit suggests that social, biological, and cultural factors have collectively influenced the design of public health campaigns throughout the preceding century.”

First World War Posters

First World War Poster“Britain entered the war on 4 August 1914.  The possessor of a small professional army and without a policy of conscription she had urgent need of more men – many, many more men – for training within the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

Thus the government in London acted quickly in bringing out a stream of recruitment posters, including possibly the most famous of its type, featuring Lord Kitchener (“Your Country Wants You!”).

Other posters followed in due course, many urging wartime economy.  Others simply encouraged continued support for government policy, usually by whipping up indignation against the latest alleged outrages committed (invariably) by the German Army.

Browse the collection of approximately 40 posters by clicking each individual image.” on firstworldwar.com.

 

Telegraph: Posters

telegraph-postersSeventy years after the radio announcement that informed the nation that Britain was at war, Imperial War Museum London is mounting Outbreak 1939, a new special exhibition, which will explore the build-up to and preparations for war, from August 20. Terry Charman, senior Imperial War Museum Historian, describes some of the iconic posters from 1939.

Christie’s Poster Auction: Tomorrow

Christies Poster AuctionTravel and Vintage Posters (SALE 5874)

You can register to purchase these posters online until today (8th September). I, personally, don’t have the money for such things, but I’m sure there are others who have! there’s a couple of wartime posters in there, notably a couple of Fougasse and H.M. Bateman designs.

Thanks for the notification from IanVisits

Fougasse (Cyril Kenneth Bird) (b.1887; d.1965)

careless_mobile_talk_fougasseA great modern twist on a Fougasse poster with regards to careless mobile talking costs lives (Neil has given me permission to put the original in), and he’s also done another image relating to “Police bugged Muslim MP Sadiq Khan” (and he’s sent me some more, which I shall post at a later date). There’s a a lovely design on noise, which I think is a genuine one.

if-only-they'd-tell-usFougasse was born on 17 December 1887 in London as Cyril Kenneth Bird. Educated at Farmborough Park School, Hampshire from 1898 to 1902, Cheltenham College 1902 to 1904 and King’ College, London 1904 to 1908 where he studied engineering. He attended art classes at the Regent Street Polytechnic and the School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography in Bolt Court, while at King’s College London. Bird took on the pseudonym ‘Fougasse’ in the first world war, meaning ‘a small land mine which might or might not hit the mark’ in the First World War, as the signature ‘Bird’ was already being used by another Punch artist. The name was deemed appropriate for an ex-Royal Engineer, as he had been until wounded at Gallipoli in 1916. Whilst recuperating he started to draw cartoons which he sent to Punch and other magazines. He was successful but continued to take lessons from Percy V Bradshaw by correspondence. He became a regular contributor to Punch, becoming art editor in 1937, editor in 1949, retiring in 1953. When Fougasse was appointed Editor of Punch, Art and Industry ran a celebration of his work, written by his formed ‘master’, Percy V. Bradshaw. Fougasse described how his humour needed to be rooted in reality to be effective, and the method he had used to attract attention during the war years. Other magazines he contributed to were The Bystander, The Graphic, London Opinion, The Stretch and The Tatler.

He had designed his first poster for London Transport in 1935. Fougasse had abandoned commercial art-work about three years before war started, which Advertiser’s Weekly viewed as a loss, of ‘one of the most subtle interpreters of the British idiom that it has ever known’. He returned in order to design posters for the war effort. He was described as ‘the most sought-after humorous artist of our time’. By the Second World War he had become ‘an established cartoonist, illustrator and commercial designer. He offered his services free to the government, suggesting that humour was an ideal vehicle for propaganda, and went on to design a wide range of graphic material in aid of the war effort’. He designed ‘visual propaganda of all kinds: books, booklets, pamphlets, press advertisements and even a film strip’, working for ‘practically every Ministry’ and many other groups. Fougasse was personally commissioned to do work for the MOI by Embleton, Edwin. Fougasse received the C.B.E. in 1946. He died in London on 11 June 1965.

Information taken from: All About Posters, ‘Fougasse’, http://www.all-about-posters.com/fougasse.html, Accessed 28 August 2003; Darracott, J. and Loftus, B., Second World War Posters, 1981 (1972), pp.30-31; ‘Bird, Cyril Kenneth (C.B.E.)’, Anonymous, Who’s Who in Art, 1948; Bradshaw, P.V., ‘Fougasse of Punch’, Art and Industry, Vol. 46, No. 275, May 1949, pp.180-185; ‘Bird, Cyril Kenneth (Fougasse)’, Poster Database, London Transport Museum, accessed February 2000; ‘Advertising and the British Tradition’, Advertiser’s Weekly, February 22 1940, p.140; ‘The Mighty Fougasse’,Advertiser’s Weekly, February 29 1940, p.168; Caption at Power of the Poster exhibition at the V&A, 1997; Livingston, A, and Livingston, I., Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers, 1992, p.77; Questionnaire submitted by Royall, K. to Embleton, E., Royall, K., ‘Posters of the Second World War: The Fourth Arm of British Defence’, Unpublished M.A., University of Westminster, 1991, p.123.

See original post.

Wikipedia Entry: Keep Calm and Carry On

Wikipedia EntryWho knows who edits these different Wikipedia entries. I have tried a few times to add information to this site, but I think partly because so many companies are trying to sell it, they are being super-strict. However, I am the global expert on the subject, so here’s hoping they think I have something to say. If not, you can read it here!

Celebrity “Wearers” of Keep Calm and Carry On

Katie Price, Keep Calm and Carry OnCelebrities love to wear “statement t-shirts” and what could be more of a statement than “Keep Calm and Carry On”

If you want to buy one of these t-shirts, or other bits and pieces, I’ve been checking out Barter Books, and Keep Calm London, and Yes/No Maybe

Now Panic and Freak Out and other variations

Now Panic and Freak OutNow, everyone knows about the alternate slogan “Now Panic and Freak Out”, but I don’t think I’ve ever put an image of it up here, this one is taken from Threadless.

I have always loved finding subverted images of the posters that I studied:

Other Entries

Change Words and Be Hilarious

Who likes it/mentions it (according to Google Alerts!)?
I’m just fascinated to see how it’s been repurposed!

I have, like, over 100 Google Alerts come in – stopped at around 40ish, have other work to do today, but there’s so much information on this – SO interesting!

Onslow’s for Vintage Posters

Women of Britain Come into the factoriesWomen of Britain, Come Into the Factories

One day, I would like to get an original of this poster, as the postcard of this that I purchased from the Imperial War Museum  formed the basis of my A-level research project, my degree project, and my PhD. One of the best places to purchase such posters, and they have a great visual catalogue of most of the images that they have sold, is Onslow’s, an auction house specialising in vintage posters (since 1984). See some of their past highlights, including a number of Second World War posters sold for significant sums of money!

Country of Origin United Kingdom
Date Probably 1941
Artist Philip Zec
Printer Lowe and Brydone, London
Size 29 3/4″ x 19 1/4″
Sources IWM PST 3645
Other Information Some catalogues list this as being by Donald Zec, Philip’s brother. Donald Zec has recently completed a biography of Philip Zec’s work, and this poster is definitely by Philip Zec.
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.