The poster (1896)

This page presents "The poster" (1896), created by Elisha Brown Bird. The catalogue places it in Vintage Posters. The format is portrait. Vintage Posters, a short history: Colour lithography in the 1890s turned the illustrated poster into a major art form, and cities such as Paris and Prague became centres of poster design. Posters announced theatre, travel, products, and events, combining image and lettering to be read at a glance from the street. Context for 1896: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. The later nineteenth century is the era of Impressionism, whose first group exhibition was held in Paris in 1874, followed by Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and the Arts and Crafts movement.

"The poster" is offered as a printable file (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI) rather than a shipped item. You receive the files by email after payment and handle printing yourself, which gives you full control over paper, size, and finish. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Measuring the wall before choosing a size is the simplest way to avoid a print that feels too small or too large. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

American, 1867–1943

If you like the visual language of Elisha Brown Bird, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.