Poster Art: Home

Posters are generally large sheets of paper placed in a public place to advertise an event or product, convey information, or persuade, such as in activism and propaganda. Early posters date to the late 18th century, and were used mostly as a means to convey public information such as official announcements and by-laws. These posters were mainly textual, printed with wood blocks in large letters, and their layout echoed leaflets of past centuries. With the development of lithography and the printing press, modern posters as we know them came into being around the mid-nineteenth century. Traveling circuses, musicians and others were early adopters of modern poster advertising. By the late 19th century, color posters employed chromolithography to advertise consumer products. The advent of WWI saw posters being used for propaganda to raise money, boost volunteer efforts and provoke outrage. Into the 20th century, the use of posters expanded in advertising, music promotion and activism, which continues today.