Poster Plakkat Collection

Posters have been used for centuries as a medium for visual communication and advertisement. The modern poster, as we know it, dates back to the mid-19th century when the printing industry perfected color lithography and made mass production possible. The design and production of posters were initially managed by printers and lithographers, but they were unable to meet the growing quality demands of customers, leading to an increasing number of artists being hired to design posters as well. The French artist Jules Chéret is credited with producing the first color lithograph posters in 1866, having finessed the black and white process invented by Alois Senefelder in 1798. 

Posters have been used to promote various political parties, recruit soldiers, advertise products, and spread ideas to the general public. During World War I, posters were used for propaganda purposes, and the Bolsheviks turned to poster art to help win their civil war against the Whites. The Russian Constructivists revolutionized the poster using photo-montage and bold geometric forms in the 1920s, following the onslaught of poster propaganda that had been generated during the First World War. 

The appearance and role of posters have changed continuously over the past century to meet the changing needs of society. Although their role is less central than it was 100 years ago, posters continue to be created every day for all sorts of reasons. The poster will evolve further as the computer and the worldwide web revolutionize the way we communicate in the 21st century. Posters are indicators of cultural, political, economic, and social realities of the epochs in which they were created.

HERE YOU GET 65 old posters from 1800's to 1930's