Although it is difficult to imagine, posters were once among the most popular collectable objects in America. Poster Mania! Leisure, Romance and Adventure in 1890s America, on view at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH from May 24 through September 2, 2013, tells the story behind the era’s poster craze. The exhibition contains about 90 of the most popular and sought after turn of the century examples of this art form.

The Exhibition

By the 1890s, the Industrial Revolution allowed workers to do more in less time. It created a growing economy, providing America’s emerging middle class with opportunities for leisure time. Simultaneously, the literacy rate of middle class Americans increased, and reading books or magazines such as Harper’s, Scribner’s and Century became a popular pastime.

Although art posters originally were created to sell magazines to passersby, they quickly became popular as collectables. Mass produced using new color printing technologies and inexpensive to purchase, they were the chosen art form of middle class America, especially between 1893 and 1897. The poster craze quickly declined after that as publishers incorporated images into their magazine and book covers.

“Publishers hired the most talented designers of the day to create artistic posters, hoping to entice the public to buy their magazines,” says Andrew Spahr, Director of Collections and Exhibitions. “These colorful and graphically rich posters were visually informed by the European styles of the day. They tell fascinating stories about life just before the turn of the century, and celebrated the emergence of summer pastimes such as bicycling, sailing and golf.”

The exhibition draws extensively from the Currier’s collection of posters donated in 1943 by Orien Dodge, a Manchester collector, and works of art purchased in the 1970s through the Alonzo Elliott Fund. These feature artists such as Maxfield Parrish, Edward Penfield, Will Bradley and others. Poster Mania! also includes images of New Hampshire in the 1890s and examples of earlier broadside posters which provide the context in which posters were originally created. Focus areas within the exhibition offer perspectives on poster collecting, bicycling, fashion, adventure, female artists and the printing process.

Related Activities

The Currier is holding a poster competition in coordination with the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism and the Department of Cultural Resources. Entrants will design posters that complete the sentence “Live Free and…” The submission deadline is July 8. Vote to decide the People’s Choice Award at the August 1 First Thursday event (see below). Details and entry forms are available at http://www.currier.org/programs.

On Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m., Manchester’s own theatre KAPOW presents Charles Dickens’ 19th century one-act play, Is She His Wife?, his most risqué work for the stage. Find out what made 19th century audiences gasp. Come early for Jazz Brunch or a tour of Poster Mania! Doors open for the performance at 1:30 p.m. and space is limited. Free with museum admission.

Every Wednesday in July from 2:30-4:30 p.m., it’s Family Summer Studio: Image and Text Collide. Participate in a unique art activity that explores the link between image and text. Adults and children are welcome.

On August 1, 2013, it’s First Thursday LIVE!, Ragtime Music. Enjoy a leisurely evening playing games, listening to a ragtime style performance by New Hampshire pianist and composer William Ögmundson, and socializing with old and new friends. As a bonus, cast your vote to decide the People’s Choice Award from our poster competition. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free.

Saturday, August 10 is Family Saturday, Poster Mania! Participants can visit the exhibition and participate in a related art activity. Art Making: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.; Exhibition Family Tour: 11:30 a.m. Free admission every Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon.

More information: www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, x108.