Posters for the People

Posters became one of the defining forms of public communication following the development of techniques for large-scale color printing in the late 1800s. While the format has its roots in commerce and advertising, artists and designers have used mass-produced posters as platforms for radical visual experiments and tools for tinkering with the relationships between image, language, and meaning. Whether promoting products and events, conveying useful information, broadcasting propaganda, or taking stances on social and political causes, the posters in the museum’s collection illustrate the important role of graphic design in modern visual culture.