New-York Historical Society poster collection

Call Number

PR 55

Date

1790-2022, inclusive

Creator

New-York Historical Society

Extent

65 Linear feet

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are primarily in English, though there are instances of other languages.

Abstract

A large assemblage of posters (1790-2022), primarily 19th and 20th century American. This collection contains a range of posters that come from a variety of sources, and that are not part of other collections.

Arrangement

The collection has been organized into 9 series based on subject. Of these, 4 series have separate, individual finding aids. This is due to the amount of material contained in this collection, as well as the piecemeal manner in which it has been processed over the years. Links to these individual finding aids can be found at the series level as well as here:

Series I. Art Posters 1890-1910
Series II. Circus Posters, 1838-1946
Series III. Civil War Posters 1861-1865
Series IV. World's Fair and Other Fairs Posters, 1854-1965
Series V. Political Posters, 1840-2008

Series VI. Motion Picture and Theater Posters, 1790-2022
Series VII. World War I Posters 1914-1920
Series VIII. World War II Posters 1941-1946
Series IX. Other Subjects, 1896-2021

Scope and Contents

An assemblage of posters, primarily 19th and 20th century American. This collection contains a range of posters that come from a variety of sources, and that are not part of other collections. Printing methods include woodcuts, lithography and photomechanical prints. The collection has been organized into 9 series based on subject. Individual finding aids have been prepared for Series I, III, VII, and VIII. Please refer to these individual finding aids (linked below) for more detailed information.

Series I. Art Posters (1890 to 1910) includes colorful advertisements for books, magazines and newspapers. Link to Art Posters finding aid.

Series II. Circus Posters (1838-1946) includes early advertisements for magicians, menageries, and human performers, as well as later full color circus posters.

Series III. Civil War Posters (1861-1865) contains recruiting posters, as well as those advertising auctions, drives, meetings, deserter lists, muster rolls, and various other announcements pertaining to the Civil War. Link to Civil War Posters finding aid.

Series IV. Fair Posters (1893-1965) includes posters from the New York World's Fair in 1939-1940 and in 1964-1965.

Series V. Political Posters (1840-2008) includes campaign posters from national and local elections.

Series VI. Motion Picture and Theater Posters (1790-2022) The bulk of the series dates from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Earliest items in the collection are text playbills from the 1790s.

Series VII. World War I Posters (1917-1918) consists of posters, pictorial sheets and related ephemera used by governments and organizations during the first World War to persuade citizens to support the war and aid efforts. Approximately 1200 posters including Montgomery Flagg's famous "I Want You" drawing. Link to World War I Posters finding aid.

Series VIII. World War II Posters (1941-1946) posters related to various aspects of the United States' mobilization during World War II. Topics include recruitment, war bonds, general war support, production, and conservation. Link to World War II Posters finding aid.

Series IX. Miscellaneous Posters (1896-2021) topics include Women's activism/rights, Anti-war protests, Public health, AIDS, Transportation, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Subjects

Genres

Lithographs.; Posters.; Prints (visual works)

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org.

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: N-YHS Poster Collection, PR 55, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was compiled by New-York Historical Society over time from a variety of purchases and gifts.

Collection processed by

N-YHS Staff

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-09-17 11:21:00 -0400.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Collection partially processed by N-YHS staff before 2000. A container list was created by archivist Jenny Gotwals in 2003. Volunteer Alison Barr did much of the finding aid's item level inventory in 2023, with additional description and processing of the collection done by archivists Larry Weimer and Marybeth Kavanagh.

Repository

New-York Historical Society