The Poster

Even in the digital age, the printed poster has continued to be one of the most influential and well-loved ways of informing and entertaining audiences. A powerful means of mass communication, posters are an invaluable resource for understanding the time periods in which they were produced and distributed and have often played key roles in shaping society.

Organized into seven thematic chapters, The Poster brings together more than 300 examples that offer a comprehensive history of the poster as a medium that has been used to share, sell, or incite political and social change. The text traces the poster through innovations in design, illustration, typography, and printing, as well as movements in art, including Art Nouveau, modernism, Art Deco, psychedelia, and punk.

Featuring works by A. M. Cassandre, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, and Peter Gee, and many more, this book is an essential resource for graphic designers, illustrators, and anyone interested in social and political history.

Even in the digital age, the printed poster retains an important role in connecting with audiences in a way that both entertains and informs. The V & A was one of the first museums to start collecting posters and to recognize the importance of doing so. Far from ephemeral, posters are both a representation of the time in which they were produced and distributed and, in many instances, have shaped the societies in which they were seen. The story of the poster is both one of changing styles and new innovations in design, illustration and printing, and a visually compelling social history. The Poster brings together over 300 examples that tell a comprehensive visual history of poster design and the various ways the poster has been used to tell, to sell, to charm and to spur on change. Organized into seven thematic chapters that tell the story of the poster as a medium, each poster is accompanied by a concise commentary that explains the work in terms of its design, printing, content, message, and the commercial, social, or political impact it may have had. The Poster will be a visual resource for graphic designers and illustrators - a reference for anyone with an interest in collecting posters and a design and social history for all who appreciate this art form.
Gill Saunders is Senior Curator of Prints in the Word & Image Department of the V&A. She is the author of Vintage Travel Posters: A Journey to the Sea in 30 Posters
Margaret Timmers is the former Senior Curator of Prints in the Word & Image Department of the V&A. She is the editor of Impressions of the Twentieth Century and The Power of the Poster
Catherine Flood is a Curator of Prints in the Word & Image Department of the V&A.
Zorian Clayton is a Curator of Prints in the Word & Image Department of the V&A.
Colorful and comprehensive, an entertaining visual history with something for everyone.
A beautiful and entertaining account of the history of the medium.