Father of the Poster -- Part I

Before the development of mass communication, the poster was the most effective form of advertising. During the last three decades of the 19th century, printing techniques were increasingly refined, and remarkable progress was made in the field of color lithography. Such advances led to significant improvements in the production of posters. Their visual impact became truly stunning, as bold, vibrant colors enhanced sharp, imaginative designs.

The first "Golden Age" of the poster occurred during the 1890s. By this time, it had rapidly become the preferred medium for advertising in the fast growing cities of Europe and the United States. Posters were appearing on street corners, kiosks, the sides of buildings -- sometimes dozens side by side on what became, in effect, giant billboards. Merchants eagerly competed for space to display advertisements for their products and services, and cities were transformed into what has been described as an "art gallery of the streets" and "an open air museum." The age of advertising had clearly arrived and taken society by storm.

Celebrated artists and famous illustrators soon turned to this developing field and raised the poster to the level of fine art. From La Belle Epoque at the turn of the century to the outbreak of World War I and on through the Roaring '20s and 1930s, the poster's impact upon advertising was dramatic.

Anyone interested in advertising, art, design, illustration and even cultural history will find the study of poster art to be an exciting field. Collectors can spend virtually as little or as much as they want in acquiring these fine examples of vintage advertising. Originals, perhaps for the true connoisseur only, may cost thousands of dollars; for the rest of us, high-quality reproductions that still effectively preserve their fine craftmanship and provide much enjoyment today -- cost thousands less. There really is something for everyone.

Any consideration of the poster and its development during this "Golden Age" must necessarily focus on the outstanding contributions of Jules Cheret. Characterized as "the father of the poster," "father of the colour lithographic poster," and "the father of modern lithography," his impact upon the age of advertising was immense, and advertising art can be truly said to have blossomed with his innovative creations. More than one observer has remarked that the colors he used were those of the rainbow.

Born in France in 1836, the son of a typographer, Cheret visited and later moved to London in the 1850s, where he learned the craft that eventually brought him widespread fame. In 1866, he returned to France and opened his own lithographic studio and printing press in Paris. He later turned this over to the well-known printing firm M.M. Chaix & Cie, although he continued to serve as artistic director. As the century drew to a close, Cheret was acknowledged as the master of his art. In fact, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for his new art form. Now at the height of his fame, he eventually created more than 1,000 posters, whose subjects featured a wide variety of products, including gasoline, cosmetics, wine, lamp oil and cold medicine. He designed covers for books and advertisements for department stores, and his posters often served to announce the latest productions at the theater, the latest acts at local nightclubs and the featured attractions at the music hall. Truly, he was a prodigious talent.

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