Posters study guide
'Posters', colour lithograph advertising an exhibition held at the V&A Museum 23 June–30 September 1931, by Austin Cooper (1890–1964), England, UK, 1931. Museum no. E.1837-1931
General bibliography
- Abdy, Jane, The French poster: Cheret to Cappiello. London: Studio Vista, 1969
- Ades, Dawn, The 20th-century poster: design of the avant-garde. New York: Abbeville Press, 1984
- Aynsley, J, Graphic design in Germany 1890-1945. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000
- Barnicoat, John, A concise history of posters. London: Thames and Hudson, 1972
- Bernstein, David, Advertising outdoors: watch this space! London: Phaidon, 1992
- Edge, Kevin, The art of selling songs: graphics for the music business. London: Futures Publications, 1991
- Gallo, Max, The poster in history. Milan: Mondadori, 1972. English translation, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1974
- Grushkin, Paul, The art of rock: posters from Presley to punk. New York: Abbeville Press, 1987
- Hillier, Bevis, Posters. London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1969
- Hutchinson, Harold F, The poster an illustrated history from 1860. London: Studio Vista, 1968
- Owen, Ted, Dickson, Denise and Medeiros, Walter, High art: a history of the psychedelic poster. London: Sanctuary Publishing, 1999
- Pack, Susan, Film posters of the Russian avant-garde. Köln: Taschen, 1995
- Rickards, Maurice, Posters of the 1920s, London: Evelyn, Adams & Mackay, 1968.
- Rickards, Maurice, The rise and fall of the poster. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1971
- RossI, Attilio, Posters . New York: Paul Hamlyn, 1971
- Timmers, Margaret, The power of the poster. London: V&A Publications, 1998
- Weill, Alain, The poster: a worldwide survey and its history. London: Sotheby’s Publications, 1985
Political, propaganda and protest
- Aulich, James and Sylvestrová, Marta, Political posters in Central and Eastern Europe 1945-95. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1999
- Baburina, Nina, The Soviet political poster, 1917-1980. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1985
- Bird, William L. and Rubenstein, Harry R, Design for victory: World War II posters on the American home front. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1998
- Cantwell, John D, Images of war: British posters 1939-45. London: HMSO, 1989
- Darracott, Joseph, The First Word War in posters. New York: Dover Publications, 1974
- Darracott, Joseph, and Loftus, Belinda, First World War Posters and Second World War London: Imperial War Museum, 1972
- Hardie, Martin and Sabin, Arthur K, eds., War posters issued by belligerent and neutral nations 1914-1919. London: A. & C. Black, 1920
- Judd, Denis, Posters of World War Two. London: Wayland, 1972
- Philippe, Robert, Political graphics: art as activist. Oxford: Phaidon, 1982
- Rickards, Maurice, Posters of the First World War. London: Evelyn, Adams, & Mackay, 1968
- Sylvestrová, Marta and Bartelt, Dana, Art as activist: revolutionary posters from Central & Eastern Europe. New York: Washington D.C.: Universe Books, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, 1992
- White, Stephen, The Bolshevik poster. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988
- Yanker, Gary, Prop art: over 1000 contemporary political posters. London: Studio Vista, 1972
Posters issued by specific companies and organisations
Empire Marketing Board
- Constantine, Stephen. Buy & build: the advertising posters of the Empire Marketing Board. London: HMSO, 1986
- Barden, Mike. GPO posters: post early 1920-1960. London: Camberwell Press, 1993
- Green, Oliver. Underground art: London Transport posters 1908 to the present. London: Laurence King, 2001
- Laver, James. Art for all: London Transport posters 1908-49. London: London, Transport Executive, 1949
- Levey, M.F. London Transport posters. Oxford: Phaidon, 1976
- Cole, Beverley and Durack, Richard. Railway posters 1923-1947 from the collection of the National Railway Museum, York. London: Laurence King, 1992
- Shackleton, J .T. The golden age of the railway poster. London: New English Library, 1976
- Bernstein, David. The Shell poster book. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1992
- Shell UK Oil, foreword Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, introd. John Hewitt. The Shell poster book. London: Profile Books, 1998
- 'That’s Shell – that is!': an exhibition of Shell advertising art. London: Barbican Art gallery and Shell UK Ltd., 1983
Collections of posters
Victoria & Albert Museum
- Word & Image Department
National collection of posters, accessible through the Print Room - Asia Department
Including Hindi film posters, see the Contact the V&A page for contact details - Archive of Art & Design
Including Paul Peter Piech archive and Biba posters, accessible through the Blythe House Archive & Library Reading Room
Other collections
- Imperial War Museum
Posters from the First and Second World Wars, Spanish Civil War, and other conflicts - London Transport Museum
London Transport posters - National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cardiff
Broad-ranging collection, from artists' screenprints, to advertisements, health education and political campaign posters - National Railway Museum, York
Railway posters - Public Record Office, Kew
Historic collection of posters issued by government departments; includes Empire Marketing Board posters - Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Ashley Havinden Archive - Tate Archive, London
Artist-designed posters, largely acquired internally through the Tate Library and Press Office - British Film Institute
c.15,000 film posters from Britain, the USA and around the world, early 1900s to the present day, including newsreel posters and cinema events (there is also a small collection of television posters). Majority of posters available for view on 35mm transparency from the BFI office in 21 Stephen Street, London W1T 1LN - The University of Westminster Chinese Poster Collection
A unique archival collection of some five hundred posters spanning the period between the late 1960s and the late 1980s - Post Office Archives, Freeling House, Mount Pleasant, London EC1A 1BB, tel: +44 (0)20 7239 2570
Photographic record catalogue of Post Office posters from the 1930s to the present day - History of Advertising Trust
Archive of advertising art - Shell Art Collection
Housed at The Library of Motoring, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZS
Includes Shell & B.P. posters
Last updated 1 August 2002.
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