The Magic of Color in Vintage Advertising - Fifty Years of Color Brochure Covers - 1880s-1920s
1880-1930s. A collection of over 50 cover illustrations selected for first impression attraction to the color image. Spanning 50 year from the 1880s through the 1930s. Consists predominantly of booklets with a few programmes, a box top etc. The collection may be used in many ways to understand the use of color illustrations in advertising. Some initial observations follow;
The change in design and use of color by decade. It demonstrates the evolution of design from the flourishing elaborate Victorian design through the gentle and feel good calmness of the first quarter of the 20th Century ending with the angular, streamline brilliant pops of color of the late 20s and 30s influenced by Art Deco and flight of fancy designs. Note the variants in the inks as time progressed.
A second observation of the collection is the various visual messages employed to inform or persuade the viewer to look further
Drama - the die-cut bars of a jail cell to the dramatic images of the star
Emotional Draw - from the young boy with his American flag to the College chaps gathered around the piano singing
Endorsers - From Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty promoting remedies to the Goddess of the Harvest selling Farm Land in Florida
Flight of Fancy - The Linebooks from the Chicago Tribune with pops of color and floating objects to Toy Tinkers with vibrant shapes.
Influencers - Images that put you into the picture from the lady golfer to the mother and child under the rainbow of happiness if you used this product this will be you.
Juxtaposition - often used by remedy makers - from plain folk to glamourous actresses appearing with a life size bottle of the product.
Non-Sequitur - from scenes of Egyptian pyramids promoting remedies to a anthropomorphic cat promoting as a printer
Picture Tells The Story - From the man with the headache to Oil Comes to Us
Product Depict - from rich prunes to rice coating the world
Product Superiority - run fastest with Keds to the finest spice cookies
One booklet, Peruna for Catarrh. has two different forms of advertising both the juxtaposition on the front the nurse holding the products on the reverse.
To this point we have only examined the covers. One item of particular note is Toy Tinkers - a fold-out 8pp. pamphlet that includes futuristic design, emotional draw with loving families playing games together, whimsy and excellent product display.
Aside from the advertising imagery the booklets include information on various types of products including Appliance, Clothing,Cream Separator, Food, Household goods & Remedies, Insurance, Medical, Military, Pianos, Printing,
Promotion - Land, Promotion - Natural Resource, Promotion - Newspaper, Promotion - Patriotism, Promotion - Town
Remedy, Shoes, Theatre, Toy and more.
The possible uses for this collection are many. Minimal wear; few pieces with intact tears and light damage.
Price: $2,800.00
Item #29000889