The first image we looked at entitled 'The Uncle Sam Range', is a poster created in 1876 by New York based designers Schumacher & Ettlinger, advertising a cooking oven. The second set of images titled 'East African Transport Old Style' and 'East African Transport New Style' were taken from a series of posters entitled 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' and were created by Adrian Allison for the Empire Marketing Board for display between December 1930-January 1931.
Both Images are aimed at middle and upper-class white people with the concept that the individuals featured in the scenes and the people behind the posters are helping the world become a better place for the greater good of everybody. The 'Uncle Sam' poster is aimed at middle and upper class Americans as the scene on the poster depicts a room full of influential and wealthy individuals all sat around to dinner. 'Uncle Sam' illustrated in the middle of the Poster represents America hosting a dinner party to the rest of 'the world'. The excessive amount of patriotic American references creates a sense of propaganda suggesting America is the power house of the world, 'being able to feed everyone', and builds on the image of the 'American dream'.
The second set of images also aimed at the middle and upper-classes of the western world, depict a 'before and after' scene of native individuals carrying and transporting goods across Africa on foot in the first image, and by boat in the second. The posters were created to promote trade and understanding between Empire countries, however the content seen within the images would today be considered extremely offensive. The images show a racial divide in society with the white man tying to impose Western Culture and socially engineering their country. The second image is different to the first one depicting a more 'civilised' and 'modern' scene of men in shorts working together to paddle and unload a boat while in the background a truck transports people over a wooden bridge to deliver and transport goods. In the first image women and children are illustrated wearing traditional clothing and carrying heavy loads by foot over harsh terrain. These contrasting images are aimed to show progress created by Western men, encouraging investors back home to spend money on produce from these countries as like the title suggests, 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity.'
All of the posters rely heavily on illustration to convey a clear message to the audience: 'Invest in this and your life will be better', however text is also used to illiterate the point. The first style of illustration is very detailed with a list of foods from across the world written on a scroll illustrating the wide range of trade America has with other countries. It also paints a scene of affluence and prosperity with the finely dressed ladies and gentlemen (representing countries like England and the West) and the plushly decorated interiors. The date on the clock also relates to the American War of Independence (1775-1783) where America fought for independence from Britain to become it's own nation.
The second set of posters are in a different design style reminiscent of the 1920's. Their imagery shows a contrast between how the country was before civilised western individuals pioneered change and how it is now. In the first image the women and children look unhappy, dressed in 'inappropriate' attire for the task they're carrying out. The second shows just men, working collaboratively in more appropriate attire, led by a wealthy white man, indicating drastic change to that country with the help of the West.
In conclusion, though these posters are both visually very different, they both propose the same message that by investing in what the poster is advertising your life will improve in some way. However each poster uses a completely different technique in persuading its viewers to do so. The 'Uncle Sam Range' depicts an image of wealth, happiness and prosperity that can be obtained with the purchase of the product. Whereas the two posters created by Adrian Allison suggest that by continuing to support the work of British white men in improving the quality of trade with other countries, your life will also improve as 'colonial progress' brings prosperity home with it.
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