Posters: From announcements to campaign instruments

Abstract

The emergence of political posters dates back to the revolutions of the outgoing eighteenth and the nineteenth century. The availability of lithographic flat printing at the end of the nineteenth century accelerated the production of posters. The new technology was also the step towards large-sized posters and a growing importance of pictorial posters and thus provided an impetus for their modernization. Electoral posters finally made their entrance with the emergence of political parties and the ensuing competition among them. Even though other media developed and became attractive for campaigners, electoral posters kept their role in many countries around the world and defended their position in the electoral advertising of parties and candidates.