New Deal graphic design
During the New Deal, artists working in Works Progress Administration programs produced posters for a wide range of public purposes. The Library of Congress collection includes examples promoting travel, parks, exhibitions, and community activities from 1936 to 1943.
Travel posters distilled a landscape into a few memorable shapes and a short message. Broad areas of color, simplified scenery, and prominent lettering made them effective at a distance. Their lasting appeal also makes them useful evidence of how public agencies presented recreation and the American landscape to potential visitors.
What to look for
- Simplified landscapes and bold silhouettes
- Limited, clearly separated color areas
- Short messages with prominent lettering