Victorian and Edwardian graphic design spans the period from roughly the 1850s to the outbreak of the First World War, a period of extraordinary transformation in visual communication.
Victorian and Edwardian graphic design encompasses the visual culture of the most commercially and technologically dynamic period in print history. The introduction of chromolithography in the mid-nineteenth century enabled mass colour printing, transforming advertising, packaging, and popular publishing. The expansion of the railway network created demand for poster design at scale, and the growth of the popular press produced a new visual culture. The archive documents this period through postcards, packaging, and illustrated publications. See also Arts and Crafts and 1890s graphic design history.
Design Archive Feature, Advertising Design, Members Only Content
The advertising agency played a crucial role in shaping consumer culture by acting as a bridge between businesses and the media and was stated to have started in the mid-19th century.
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Design Archive Feature, Design Education, Ephemera, Regional Histories, Typography & Type Design
I came across two sample books containing printed examples of the work executed by the students in the Composing and Machine Departments of the Polytechnic School of Printing, between 1907 and 1910. I couldn't resist adding these to the archive.
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Design Archive Feature, Magazines & Publishing, Members Only Content, Movements
Victorian Graphic Design left a mark on both British and American design history. In Britain, the ornate embellishments served as a symbol of prosperity and cultural values. Meanwhile, America embraced the combination of various design elements to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing society driven by industrialisation and consumerism.
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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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