Posters for the People: Art of the WPA

550 Pages·2008·182.23 MB·English

by  Ennis Carter

This book is dedicated,
with love, to the memory of my father,
Harry F. Ennis, Sr., 1936–2000

Copyright © 2008 by Design for Social Impact All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the
publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2008924741
ISBN 978-1-59474-292-7
Ebook ISBN 978-1-59474998-8
Ebook design adapted from printed book design by Cara Cox, Design for Social
Impact Cover (clockwise from top left): Power; Native Ground; John Is Not Really
Dull; International Exhibition of Watercolors; Wild Life; Salut au Monde
Quirk Books
215 Church Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
Arhival photos courtesy of Christopher DeNoon
FM2.1 Posters being screened and inspected BM1.1 A large workshop of
poster artists
v4.1
CONTENTS
Cover
Dedication
Title Page
Copyright
FOREWORD: FROM “WPA WHAT?” TO “POSTERS FOR THE
PEOPLE”
Christopher DeNoon
INTRODUCTION: POSTERS FOR THE PEOPLE
THE POSTERS
• WORK PAYS AMERICA: Prosperity & Opportunity
• EXHIBITION: Art & Craft
• MARCH ON TO HEALTH: Health & Safety
• SEE AMERICA: Travel & Destinations
• DEMOCRACY A CHALLENGE: American Cultural Traditions
• WILD LIFE: Preservation & Conservation
• BANDS ON PARADE: Community Events
• PASSPORTS TO ADVENTURE: Knowledge & Information
• YOUR CHILDREN LIKE THESE LOW RENT HOMES: Neighborhood Places
• JOIN NOW: War & Defense
• VISIT THE ZOO: Sports & Recreation
• SING FOR YOUR SUPPER: Theatre, Dance & Music
THE WPA LIVING ARCHIVE
INDEX
CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
About the Authors

FROM “WPA WHAT?” TO “POSTERS
FOR THE PEOPLE”
BY CHRISTOPHER DENOON
Author of Posters of the WPA
I
welcome the kind invitation that Ennis Carter extended to me to write the fore-
word for her new book on WPA posters. It has given me the opportunity to reflect
on how much the status and visibility of these posters has changed since my
research on the subject began in 1978.
I had seen several posters in an American Heritage book about 1930s history
and wanted to know more. Tentative investigation to gather information came up
empty. As with other work produced by artists employed by the Federal Art
Project, the posters had long been forgotten by the public and ignored by art
historians. My inquiries to poster dealers ended similarly. They were unfamiliar
with WPA posters, which were not catalogued in volumes of poster history or
available in the marketplace. Their awkward responses served to reinvigorate my
quest to resurrect and re-present the posters, and I set to work.
In the four-plus years of diligent searches through bins and flat files in Los
Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and in correspondence with
poster and ephemera dealers nationwide, I turned up fewer than a dozen WPA
posters available for purchase. Eventually, my search led to the two largest archives
of the posters: the Library of Congress and the Federal Theatre Project Collection
at George Mason University.
The enthusiasm, professional skills and kindness of many at those institutions
made possible the publication of Posters of the WPA—the first history and reference
book devoted exclusively to the subject.
Since publication of my book in 1987, the status of the posters has changed
substantially. No longer an arcane footnote in the history of graphic arts and
poster design, today they are a more valued and appreciated body of work. In 2000
the Library of Congress scanned and digitized their holdings, creating a searchable
online database of more than 900 posters, and images are now available for
viewing and use. I’ve seen the posters on T-shirts and coffee mugs and in corn