British Posters: Advertising, Art and Activism

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Drawing on the V&A's wide-ranging poster collection, this book traces the evolution of the poster in the hands of graphic designers and fine artists, advertising agencies, and countercultural groups in Britain since 1945. The range spans "Keep Britain Tidy" campaigns, lavishly produced Benson & Hedges billboards, punk-rock posters, hand-printed indictments of Margaret Thatcher, and public art projects on the Underground. From conflicts over the content and control of public space to posters tacked to bedroom walls, Catherine Flood examines how the poster in Britain has adapted itself to a changing technological environment and defied predictions of its demise.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Selecting among the Victoria and Albert Museum's large collection of posters, this beautifully illustrated volume examines the evolution of the British poster since 1945. Touching on such disparate types as advertising posters (including billboards), political posters, and rock posters, Flood (V&A) both encompasses and moves beyond art and design as she explores how posters have infiltrated the social fabric of modern life. This volume also emphasizes the significance of the poster as a primary source document. Organized both chronologically and thematically, it is divided into three sections. The first examines the postwar era through the end of the 20th century and presents the poster as a two-dimensional object intended to communicate information (primarily advertising or propaganda). The second section examines the same period through the lens of youth culture and counterculture. The final section moves to the 21st century, with the shift to the digital environment and the resulting revolution in design and communication. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. K. M. Keogh Virginia Commonwealth University