Collection of 14 post–World War II posters, 1970–1993
Digitized images courtesy of Schlesinger Library. Photos by Kevin Grady/Radcliffe Institute
Since the early 19th century, posters have been an effective form of visual communication. The Library has hundreds of posters, ranging from original color lithographs to mass-produced advertisements. The 14 posters selected for the exhibit, including this one featuring Angela Davis (1944– ), are all from the post–World War II years. Important new collections such as the Angela Y. Davis Papers, which the library acquired in January 2018, guarantee a wealth of important stories to be told long into the Library’s next 75 years.
The women’s movement made effective use of posters to engage viewers in issues concerning women’s rights in general or to convey specific ideas, such as workplace conditions and equal pay for equal work. Posters used to promote political parties and candidates can be satirical or serious and often incorporate recognizable symbols. For instance, the image of Geraldine Ferraro as Lady Liberty is an appropriation of an earlier artwork. While some posters incorporate beautiful graphics and colors, others use text alone to communicate a message.
Poster Collection of the Schlesinger Library unless otherwise noted
“Elections ’72,” featuring Angela Davis, 1972
The first image (above) is the poster “Elections ’72,” featuring Angela Davis, sponsored by November 4th Committee, a coalition of Temple University student organizations, November 4, 1972.
Catalog record:
http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/011803016/catalog
Learn more:
Read about the Library’s acquisition of Angela Davis’s papers in the New York Times or the Harvard Gazette.
Watch a video about the Library’s acquisition of Angela Davis’s papers:
Scroll down to view the other 13 posters.
“She Sews in a Sweatshop,” poem by Nancy Hom, 1977; poster by Stephanie Lowe, Japantown Art & Media Workshop, San Francisco, California, 1980 (above)
Catalog record:
“Forms, colors, sensuous relationships . . .,” from Adrienne Rich’s poem “What Is Found There,” 1993 (above)
Catalog record:
http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/011803016/catalog
Learn more:
“Don’t Iron While the Strike Is Hot,” Mary-Ann Lupa, 1970 (above)
Catalog record:
“Frustration,” Women’s Graphics Collective, Chicago, Illinois, 1972 (above)
Catalog record:
“Abortion Must Be Safe, Legal and Funded,” National Organization for Women, 1989 (above)
Catalog record:
“Sisterhood Is Blooming, Springtime Will Never Be the Same,” Women’s Graphics Collective, Chicago, Illinois, 1972 (above)
Catalog record:
“Free Castration on Demand,” Pen Dalton, ca. 1972 (above)
Catalog record:
“Liberty, ERA, Mondale-Ferraro,” Kip Overton, 1984 (above)
Catalog record:
“The Last ERA Walk,” National Organization for Women, 1981 (above)
Catalog record:
“International Women’s Day March 8,” Cecilia Blomberg, Eugene-Springfield NAM in cooperation with Northwest Working Press, Eugene, Oregon, 1980 (above)
Catalog record:
http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/011803016/catalog
Learn more:
Explore the Schlesinger Library’s exhibit Catching the Wave: Photographs of the Women’s Movement.
“La Mujer y La Paz, 25 de Noviembre Dia de la no Violencia Contra La Mujer [Women and Peace, November 25 Day of No Violence Against Women],” c. 1970 (above)
Charlotte Bunch Papers, Schlesinger Library
Catalog record:
“The Impact of Our Anger Will Be Felt,” c. 1970 (above)
Charlotte Bunch Papers, Schlesinger Library
Catalog record:
“Womin’s Dance,” Woodville Town Hall, ca. 1972 (above)
Charlotte Bunch Papers, Schlesinger Library
Catalog record:
