c. 1940s – c. 1960s
A distinctive movement merging fine art and graphic design, known for its imagery, painterly expression, and cultural commentary.
The Polish School of Posters was one of the most distinctive design traditions of the twentieth century. It merges fine art with graphic communication in a way that embraces metaphor, expression, and surreal imagery. Emerging in the late 1940s and heavily used through the 1960s and 70s. THe movement produced film and theatre posters of originality by designers including Waldemar Świerzy, Franciszek Starowieyski, and Jan Lenica. The archive documents this tradition through designer profiles and printed matter from the movement.
Explore designers central to this tradition including Henryk Tomaszewski, Roman Cieślewicz, Jan Lenica, and Waldemar Świerzy. See also Polish graphic design history and 1950s graphic design history.
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
From the graphic design archive:
Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Ephemera, Members Only Content
Beyond his books, Dick Bruna's vivid colour and simplified forms found their way onto posters, packaging, murals and stamps, many of which feature in my growing collection.
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Members Only Content, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles
An article on Valentin Zietara , originally in German, published in Gebrauchsgraphik, 10, 1930, written by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer
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Members Only Content, Designer Profiles, Studios & Collectives
A 1903-1904 article on Die Steglitzer Werkstatt, originally in German, published in Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, Vol. XIII, October 1903–March 1904.
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Regional Histories, Ephemera, Illustration, Members Only Content
A collected visual record of the Kanto, Chubu and Tohoku Lottery tickets.
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Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Movements
April Greiman is known for her experimental approach to graphic design, her role in the development of Californian New Wave and being one of the first designers to fully embrace the computer in her work.
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Illustration, Ephemera, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
A collected visual record of the first eight years of Japan’s Rural Medical Care Promotion Lottery.
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