2014 Robert Fleming, David Bownes - Posters of the First World War_Rebol.pdf

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CONTENTS

THE POSTER WAR

POSTERS OF 1914

POSTERS OF 1915

POSTERS OF 1916

POSTERS OF 1917

POSTERS OF 1918

FURTHER READING

THE POSTER WAR

The Great War (1914–18) was the first truly modern

conflict, fought on a global and industrial scale. It

required the complete mobilisation of the countries

involved, resulting in unparalleled state intervention

into the lives of ordinary people, from conscription to

the employment of women, food rationing and the

gradual imposition of restrictions affecting many

aspects of daily life. Communicating these changes

effectively, while maintaining public morale, was

recognised by all warring nations as an essential

element in securing military victory. In an age before

the Internet, television or radio, posters emerged as the

ideal medium for mass communication, seized upon by

governments, private organisations, charities and even

retailers to get their war messages across to the widest

possible audience. In this respect, posters were

especially suited to the task at hand as they could be

cheaply produced in very large numbers and distributed

in a range of sizes to maximise potential display

opportunities.

At the outset of the war in August 1914, the poster was

already a mature advertising tool, which had developed

over centuries from crude letterpress notices to

sophisticated full-colour lithographs. Continental

posters, in particular, had established a reputation for

considerable artistic merit, pioneered by the likes of