ADVERTISING in 1900 !!

Advertising in 1900 !!

There is no internet, no smart phones, films are a novelty, no cinemas; newspapers are purely typo, no colour images!!

Lithography had just been developed; it was a new printing technic. In 1900 it was barely 20 years old, an industrial printing method that enabled colour images to be printed in ever increasing sixe.

The result of this new printing phenomenon was that the French parliament had to pass a law, loi du 6 juillet 1888, forbidding flyposting as lithography was the start of advertising as we know it today. Parliament had to control bill posting, the street walls were starting to be covered with posters which were advertising everything. People had come to realise the power of posters, the power of advertising!

By using lithography all commodities and entertainment could be advertised in big bold colours and displayed. The poster became very quickly the major medium to convey a message.

This monthly on line exhibition of vintage posters are all circa 1900, they are all pictures of their time, they show what the latest gadgets but also dress etc. The ATOM hoover advertises the latest model (invention) but you would have been dressed like that. The “la comete” depicts cars in general use in 1900 and you would have been dressed to ride such a horseless carriage. Boys under 5 wore dresses as shown in the LU biscuits by Bouisset. Look at “Soleil” the latest gas lamp!! Electricity was not in general use. The time it would have taken to get dressed such as the elegant lady at the café Lurion.

Browse these posters enjoy and see how the world has evolved over the last 115 years.