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How Poster Art Began Our history of poster art begins in the 1870s. It begins with the work of the French poster designers Cheret, Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec. Although signs, trademarks, and other commercial designs have been used for centuries, poster art as we know it today did not emerge as a distinct form until the last lap of the century. Inscriptions, sings and posters share a common historical heritage. Broadly speaking, the art of pictorial design can be traced back to remote antiquity, to the early attempts of man to record (by means of painted or incised pictures) his impressions of the daily events of his harried existence. In the absence of a formal language, a picture or symbol became a ready vehicle of expression. Records remain which stand out as mute evidence of the urge of even the most primitive of the human species to grope for articulation through drawing. The work of the primitive artist was prompted, in the main, by this desire for self-expression, and indirectly served as a pictorial diary of his thoughts, activities and superstition. On the rugged walls of his abode, the cave dweller projected his impressions of the gods he worshipped and feared, he recorded his prowess as a warrior, and his supremacy over bird and beast. These wall decorations may be classed as posters, if the purpose of a poster is merely to convey a thought through conscious design. The narrower concept of poster art, however, limits the definition of a poster to a publicly-displayed design that is intended for commerce and industry. It therefore becomes an academic question whether or not the creative endeavors of the cave dweller should be alluded to as poster art. Scanning the cavalcade of centuries as we approach the Christian era, we begin to find in the art of the Assyrians, the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, something which approximates the poster form as we know it today. Fragmentary wall excavations from the petrified ashes of Pompeii disclose the fact that art in those days served more than as a graphic record of events and impressions; posters had become a widely used medium for disseminating specific information to the populace. In ancient Greece, outdoor posters were displayed at marketplaces, in the Forum, and wherever else people were wont to gather, announcing new laws and bearing other public proclamations. Roman signboards advertised coming gladiatorial contests, public baths, theatrical performances and slave marts, and featured other announcements reflecting the interests and activities of the time. With the rise of Christianity came the extended use of signs and poster as a means of spreading the Gospel. The blessings of Heaven and the curse of Hell became very real to the illiterate, who learned the teachings of Christianity not only through inspired sermons, but also through dramatized pictures on walls and banners. After civilization's slumber through the Dark Ages, came the Renaissance period, with its renewed intellectual activity and its corresponding revival of commerce and industry. In the competition for trade, merchants inaugurated the custom of distributing advertising handbills and displaying poster and signs in busy thoroughfares. Picturesque signboards bearing trademarks and inscriptions were put up to identify the silversmith, the apothecary, the innkeeper and other business establishments. As an intellectual curio, it may be of interest to note that advertising took on another form at about this time. The town crier, forerunner of the modern radio announcer, came into being. In a melodious chant the town crier sang the praises of his sponsor's wares as he carried his portly figure through the narrow street of Paris and London. After a while, this practice became so widespread that it was necessary to pass legislation regulating the activities of these hundreds of walking advertisements. |