Context of Practice 1 Image Analysis Exercise

I have been asked to compare and contrast these two different posters from a different era of time. They both have very different purposes, one to advertise and one to make you think, but they are both very persuasive.

 

‘The Uncle Sam Range’ (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York Poster and the Savile Lumley (1915) have many contrasts such as the Schumacher American poster has a lot going on and there is no main focus in the advert whereas the Lumley British poster is very to the point and gets the point across immediately. They both have a certain pride to them and are very patriotic to their own countries. They do this with details the American poster has a lot of details that makes it very in your face, I noticed small details such as the eagle, which is one of Americas main symbol as freedom, and the British poster does it with small details such as the boys soldiers in red. Also they both have very warm colours and are both aimed at men. They both promise a better life and focus on the future a lot.

The Lumley British poster almost guilt trips the audience, and makes them think about themselves. The main figure is portrayed as a coward, and you notice that one of the main focus’ is his son is playing with his toy soldiers. The typography is in italics; you can hear the daughters voice talking to you as you read it. There is a main emphasis on the word ‘you’ referring to yourself as you read it. Also they put it as the ‘Great’ war but this is only in World War one and one year in.

The range advertisement poster is very detailed and has a lot going on, it took a while for me to understand what’s going on, and to me it suggested a lot of things before I knew what it was. It proposed maybe the idea of poverty with the worlds face being on Africa and him reading lists of foods for each country. I noticed that the world foods on the lists are very stereo typical to the country’s. The typography ­on the Sam Range poster is in slab serif making it very domineering, I think it works well being in gold as it contrasts well with the red and blue American style carpet.

Nowadays you would never see anything like this as an advert as the adverts now are very much to the point and advertise the product first, but with this advert I feel you have to read in to what’s actually going on.