Study Task 3

Compare and contrast the two images in relation to the following:-

a)    The choice and organisation of the font and style of illustration

b)   The purpose and meaning of the image

c)    The target/potential audience of the image

d)   The social and historical contexts relevant to the production of the image

KEY: Image one = Poster by Savile Lumley 1915

Image two = The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumancher & Ettlinger, New York.

Image one shows an illustration of a man sat in a chair with a young girl on his lap and a young boy playing with toy soldiers at his feet. He is looking directly at the viewer whilst the children are either looking at their toys or the father figure. The only text is at the bottom of the page, which reads ‘Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War’? . The font is simple and italic and because of the first word, ‘Daddy’ you usually hear a child’s voice inside your head when reading it.

Image two shows six people sat round a dining table, one of which is shaped like the world, a serving lady and a young black boy by the oven. The furniture, carpets, curtains and clothes of the two people are decorated with the American stars and stripes. Everyone around the table appears to be looking towards the person shaped like the world.  The text at the bottom is large, bold and in a Western font coloured gold, which reads ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ and some other small print. The text is big and bold because the purpose of the illustration is to advertise so it must grab the viewers attention.

Both images have little text and are quite a similar illustration style. For example, the basic human proportions are fairly realistic excluding the person shaped as the world.  Both images also have the text towards the bottom of the page, which suggests the illustrator wanted the main focus to be on the image itself, which forms a kind of narrative.

Image one was used as a form of propaganda during the First World War, known as the Great War at the time as they didn’t expect there to be another war of that scale. Its purpose was to try and get more men to join the army and other war forces. It tries to portray an image of a happy family after the war, suggesting not only that Britain is going to win but that children will be proud of their fathers and will be eager to hear their Great War stories. This image tries to target men and almost guilt them into joining the war efforts to avoid any embarrassment when questioned later in life.

Image two is also targeting men as they were deemed most important, stronger and the providers of the family in 1876. The whole image portrays American power, freedom and the ‘American way’ – suggesting that by having this stove, you could cook enough food to feed the world. The image is set in 1876, 100 years after Independence Day, which is why the American flag colours are so dominant – the illustrator wanted to assert America’s independence. The black boy by the cooker/range would have been a slave – thus enforcing America’s independent power even further.

Although both images were created for different purposes, they both contain elements that are similar. For example, both portray men as the most important, dutiful gender and so only target men.  These illustrations were drawn around 40 years apart and the relevance of women has not changed.  The posters differ in purpose as one is a war propaganda poster and the other is an advertisement for a cooking range. However, they both use the political situation of the time as a way of portraying an ideal life.