Posters: A Concise History (World of Art) [Paperback]

John Barnicoat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1985

The poster as we know it dates back no further than 1870, for it was then that the perfection of techniques in color lithography first made mass production possible. Yet in little more than a hundred years it has come to be recognized as a vital art form, attracting artists at every level, from painters like Toulouse-Lautrec and Mucha to theatrical and commercial designers, and ranging in style from Art Nouveau, Symbolism, Cubism and Art Deco, to the formality of the Bauhaus and the deliberate incoherence of the hippies and other underground movements in the 1960s. 273 illus., 72 in color.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (February 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500201188
• ISBN-13: 978-0500201183
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,161,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The eyes have it..., June 29, 1999

By 

Nick Curtis ([e-mail]) (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Posters: A Concise History (World of Art) (Paperback)

A delightful little book that has something to please everyone: an extensive collection of poster graphics from just before the turn of the twentieth century to the present -- Toulouse-Lautrec to Warhol, and then some -- and solid historical and cultural background information as well. Well written, well researched, well illustrated, well worth the money.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Visual Tour of A Modern Art Form, March 21, 2002

By 

Eric H. Roth "English teacher/conversationali... (Venice Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Posters: A Concise History (World of Art) (Paperback)

This compelling art book contains beautiful images, illuminating details, and thumbnail sketches of modern art movements. The section titled "Posters and Reality" includes vivid posters and explores the ideas of expressionism, realism, and surrealism in an accessible, yet scholarly manner.
"Posters and Society", however, remains my favorite section. Tracing the evolution of the poster through travel, theater, and liquor ads, Barnicoat explains the significance of outdoor advertising in modern cities. Posters also seem to lend themselves to an ironic, comic style.
Yet the classic posters from World War I and II show that governments can also develop ideas in the popular medium. Wartime posters played a critical role in recruitment of soldiers, selling War Bonds, and instructing civilian populations to conserve precious supplies.
Barnicoat also seems fascinated with the use of posters by communist (Soviet Union, Mao's China, Castro's Cuba) and fascist dictatorships (Nazi)to create "consensus" and the illusion of mass support. He juxaposes these propagnda efforts with the students' posters of May '68 saying "these were attempts to produce a genuine pattern of popular art." (While few propaganda posters have become popular collectibles, wartime posters and protest posters from the 1960s command good prices these days among vintage poster collectors.)
Written in 1973 in a belated celebration of the poster's 100th birthday, this classic art book does show its age - both in the evident leftist sympathies and ignoring recent trends. Posters: A Concise History, however, remains the best introduction for art lovers, graphic designers, and poster collectors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good content, okay images, November 5, 2008

By 

B. Parra - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Posters: A Concise History (World of Art) (Paperback)

There is a lot of great information in this book but I was really disappointed when it came to the images. Many of the really important posters are in black and white, such as lissitzky's "beat the whites...", in which color is very important.