Today’s seminar was based on comparing,
contrasting and analyzing three propaganda images.
The first image that we looked on was
the advertising image ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ (1876) designed by Schumacher &
Ettlinger, New York. The next two images were about ‘East African transport Old
Style’ and ‘East African Transport New Style’ by Adrian Allinson. We had to
answer four different questions about the choice, font organization and style
of illustration, the purpose and meaning of the image, the target audience and
the historical contexts relevant to the production of the image.
The first image ‘The Uncle Sam Range’
uses a Wild Western style font. The image is very bright almost abstract using
the range of blue, red, white and yellow colors, which are creating American
theme running throughout the poster. From the American flag on the wall, carpet,
curtains to the character’s old fashion clothes everything represent America,
this indicates how proud they are of being ‘American’ and of their country
achievements. The image has a bit of
cartoony look, it looks like a hand drawing or painting rather than an
advertisement. Also is not organized giving
an impression of being jokingly and not serious.
The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York
Looking at this image we can clearly say
that the purpose of this image is to show how America has been feeding the
whole world. In the left top corner of the image there is a clock on the wall
and all the goods on the table in the centre of the image, which indicate that
100 years has passed, and their celebration of achieving something. However, the eye is drawn to three things in particular. The globe
sitting next to the table, the woman, which is giving the food and the men next
to her looking as a very important person. The globe is holding a long list with different names of the countries
on it, which looks like a list of trading between countries.
The other two images ‘East
African transport Old Style’ and ‘East African Transport New Style’ uses San
Serif, bold and eye-catching font. The image has a different style of printing
than the first image ‘The Uncle Sam Range’. The image appears to be more as w watercolour
painting also the image is well organized. The purpose of this image seems to
be promoting the colonial empires and that the aim is not money, but to show
how successful the effort of modernisation is going. Moreover, they are trying
to show to the readers how they helped modernise and improve the transport in
Africa with technology. In the first image we can see African’s people in their
traditional clothes while walking through the wilds with their kids, while
carrying at the same time supplies. The second image shows improvements that
came about doe to the colonisation for e.g. traveling by transport, industry,
trucks and different style of clothing as well. Furthermore, there are no
children on this image; this shows how the attitude towards woman has
changed.
Empire Marketing Board - 'East African Transport Old Style' and 'East African Transport New Style' by Adrian Allinson, from the 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' series of posters; 60 x 40 ins, displayed December 1930-January 1931; Waterlow and Sons Ltd
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