Tuesday 9 November 2010

Critical studies Image analysis

The two images I am comparing are 'The Uncle Sam Range' (1876) advertising image by Schumacher & Ettlinger,New York and 'Poster' by Savile Lumley (1915).

The purpose of the two posters are very different but they have both been produced in a very similar nationalistic and patriotic way. The first poster is aiming to sell the audience an all American cooking range along with a dream lifestyle, the others purpose is to rally up troops for WW1. They both appear to be focusing their attentions on the upper class region of society. The reason I say this is because in both posters the persons inset are all dressed well and look as though they have comfortable lives. The first would be aimed at a household that could actually accommodate the large and expensive equipment. The second poster however needs to gather as much support as possible so has a deeper meaning to it, the target audience for this poster would range from the young man to the family man. This is because at the time the poster was produced there was no conscription and it was a mans choice to fight for his country-the type reinforces this message.

The choice and organisation of type in the second poster is like a guilt trip because it is not saying 'why wernt you there?' its saying 'what did YOU do there?' giving me the impression that your Queen and country expect you to fight for your family. The YOU is underlined because the poster is directly targeting the male audience and he is looking directly at the viewer. Italic fonts are more commonly found on invitations and certificates, it is quite welcoming but official so it ties in with the target audience being an educated man. Also the book that the little girl is holding suggests that he should have a story to tell...

The type in the first poster is associated with a very traditional American, wild west font. The 'Uncle Sam' part is the boldest and directly below is the image of Uncle Sam. Other type on the page is smaller -'feeding the world' and the recipes of other nations foods seem to be quite undeveloped, for example Ireland just has different ways in which potatoes can be eaten and China has birds nests. Indicating to me that America feels it has developed more in 100 years (the clock is specific to this point as it shows the dates 1776-1876 ,100 years since the declaration of independence)than older civilisations.

Back to the point of the posters being linked by both playing on nationalism and patriotism, the main reasons for me thinking this are they are both draped with symbols of national pride. In the first poster there is Uncle Sam (a figurehead associated with America) is surrounded by American flags. Unfortunately there are some old fashioned views incorporated within the poster the first being a black person preparing the food and a woman serving. Secondly New England is depicted as a woman which says something about that part of the country-New England is where the immigrants were coming from which suggest they were weaker. It has certain elements that are still present in todays American society-America thinks its more important than the rest of the world.

The second poster is more subtle the roses on the curtains and the Fleur de Lis represents the fight for Queen and country. It has got neutral colours throughout, apart from the soldiers which are red and dressed in old fashioned uniforms signifying the fighting spirit of the nation.  

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