The roll call (1918)

Dated 1918, "The roll call" is an artwork by Percy MacKaye. The catalogue places it in Vintage Posters. The format is portrait. Vintage Posters, a short history: Posters announced theatre, travel, products, and events, combining image and lettering to be read at a glance from the street. Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and later modernist design each left a recognisable poster style. Historical background, 1918: Posters, magazines, and illustrated books were major ways for the public to meet new art and design. Dada and Surrealism followed the First World War, the Bauhaus school was founded in 1919, and Art Deco became the fashionable decorative style of the 1920s and 1930s.

Buying "The roll call" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Vintage posters bring character, graphic texture, and a collected feel to the room, while pairing easily with both contemporary furniture and eclectic styling. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. 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. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour.

American, 1875–1956

If you like the visual language of Percy MacKaye, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.