Once upon a time, posters full of dazzling images and arresting slogans dominated the media landscape. They were displayed in shop windows, covered billboards, and were even draped over human bodies when the 19th-century Sandwich Men patrolled city sidewalks carrying advertising posters over their shoulders.
The Library of Congress’ collection of posters traverses nearly two centuries and multiple continents. Its contents tell the story of an evolving form that exhibited the work of major artists and promoted everything from food to political candidates.
Here we present images of a few of the posters in the Library’s collection. To view the entire article about posters owned by the Library of Congress, please click here to view the January/February issue of the Library of Congress magazine.
