The Uncle Same Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York.
Poster by Savile Lumley (1915)
Each design uses text and font quite differently. Firstly, The Uncle Same Range is thick with hidden reference and detail. Much of which is achieved with text that is only legible at a close distance, thus requiring a keen eye to spot, this suggests that the image would have been presented on a large scale in an open public place, rather than a paper which would have limited the use of colour and detail.
There are several typefaces used, which would have been hand drawn rather than printed. The bold text along the bottom draws the eyes first, proudly proclaiming the product name and company. The rest of the literature is used in a jovial manner to amuse the viewer, and has been sqeezed chaotically into arrangement by the composition.
In contrast the text in the WW1 poster is much more simple. The white text on black is immediately eye-drawng as the human eye is traditionally used to black text on white backgrounds. The italics suggest a vocal quotation and reads like the subtitles of a film or children's book, which mirrors the book that the supposed daughter is clasping.
The meaning behind The Uncle Same Range is overt, it proclaims the patriotic splendour of it's cooking device, which is barely featured in the image. The composition is a celebration of America's rising dominance a decade on from the declaration of independence, which is conveniently featured on the clock. The image's purpose is to suggest that purchasers of The Uncle Same Range will contribute to America's greatness and conform to the pioneer spirit. The diners featured include the personification of the known world and the old world countries such as England (who have been neglected at the back end of the table), thus suggesting that America with the use of this fantastic kitchen utensil could bring the world to its table, and that a patriotic American would have a grand time knocking up some Thanksgiving dinner on it for the in-laws.
The purpose and meanings behind the recruitment poster are equilly plain. It is directly addressing the conscientious objectors, attempting to goad them into joining the great and glorious war, so that in years to come they can tell their children their splendid and non heinous stories of trench warfare. The subject of the image is a typical middle-class man who has taken no obvious injuries and wears a concerned expression, suggesting that he did not participate in the glory of war. The poster asks the viewer as directly as it does it's fictional Daddy. It questions whether the viewer wishes to become a guilt stricken coward, or perhaps a war hero full of tales of valour for his bountiful offspring.
Each image has been shaped by their contemporary contexts.
The Uncle Same Range exists in a time of a bold America which stands in splendid isolation as the old worlds concerns itself with the Bulgarian atrocities while Britain is preoccupied with Disraelis' and Gladstones' political games. America stands unshaken by its tests of power having separated from The Empire 100 years former and united into the USA just over 10 years previous. America is no longer dependant on foreign developments in the arts, culture and technology. The Centennial Exhibition hosted in the same year boasts a huge amount of technological and artist ingenuity, much as the Great Exhibition of 1851 had done for Britain. This fuelled the demand for all American patriotic products for the American household, the advertisement is striking exactly the right sort of chord.
Meanwhile the later WW1 poster of 1915 pre-dates the use of conscription in Britain, thus it is required to advertise the benefits of attending (or the negatives of not attending) the war. The use of faded browns of soft greens inspire nostalgic imagery of Britain's old glory and perhaps the patterned royal imagery of the rose and crest whisper of a future with new glory forged from the crucible of war.
The boy plays with traditional Redcoats, perhaps reenacting a particularly magnificent battle that viewers of the poster could take part in, if they were to join up. For at this stage in the war the Allies had failed (and would continue to fail) to breakthrough the western front, and the previous year's estimates that the War would 'be over by Christmas' had not come to pass. The situation was perhaps more desperate, however the hangover from last years war glorification remained, hence the poster makes no reference to defending the realm and it is assumed that victory is coming, and soon.
