- By Davoc
- 3 November, 2008
- Comments Off on Posters – if in doubt, don't throw it out!
Irish POSTERS – If in doubt, don’t throw them out!
The poster was and is a very effective way of communication. Hundreds of thousands have been produced for a variety of reasons. Some were produced for propaganda, some for commercial purposes. But the one universal thing about them is that they were ‘for the time being only’ and dispensable. The paradox of high production and low survival is a fascinating aspect of poster history. They were torn down from walls and poles and just thrown away. Most posters just gave a bare message like “Wanted, Dead or Alive…..” or “Farm for Sale….”. Others were extremely decorative and artistic, with strong messages and wonderful colours. Paul Henry’s paintings were used to great effect to illustrate travel posters in the 1930s. Right up to the 1960s Bord Failte used this artist’s fantastic Connemara views in their publicity. Works of art in their own right.
Posters – circuses, carnivals, cinemas, theatres, sport, political rallies etc, covered literally thousands of different subjects and events. Firms advertised their goods, the likes of Raleigh bicycles, Guinness, Ford motorcars, Sweet Afton cigarettes, Irel Coffee, Rinso et al. Many posters date as far back as the 1890s.
Poster artists Cheret Bonnard and other leading Parisian artists now fetch large sums of money.
But let us not get too carried away. Simple, quite modern Irish posters are very sought after. One that comes to mind is the Lisdoonvarna Music Festival poster from the late 1970s – now VERY SCARCE.
All pre 1960 Aer Lingus and CIE posters are of interest to collectors too.
If you come across any posters – “if in doubt – DON’T throw it out!!