From art to advertising: The history of the poster

Uncle Sam's intense gaze is inescapable in an image where his outstretched index finger conveys a clear message: "I Want You for the U.S. Then around 1796, Bavarian musician and playwright Alois Senefelder invented lithography, a vital technology for modern poster design and a precursor to modern offset printing. Equally well known was Cheret's compatriot, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who wrote poster history with his artworks for the famous Parisian variety shows at the Moulin Rouge. The poster as advertising Posters with elaborate designs by artists are still created for museums and theaters today but the focus of posters since the 1920s has been Throughout the 20th century, the poster kept evolving, with advertising influenced by the art movements of its time, from Bauhaus style to Art Deco. "The poster has been integrated into an overall concept," he says, noting how at a bus or train stop an illuminated advertising poster can be combined with information and "roof greening" to create "a piece of street furniture."