Artist: Willard Frederic Elmes
Condition: B *
Dimensions: 36.2 x 44 in. / 92 x 112 cm.
Circa: 1929
Linen Backed
* See Condition Grading section for further details
There are two registration punch holes in the top margin; several areas of restored edge losses including partially restored loss at the top right corner; some small restored losses in image; some edge and corner wear; some surface smudges/abrasions; despite it's defects, this strong motivational poster should display rather nicely once framed.
In this workplace morale poster from the early twentieth century, a lone figure pushes through deep snow against driving wind, rendered in the bold flat planes of American lithography at its most direct. The message below reads: "When you're gruff, everybody hinders. When you're pleasant, everybody helps. Let's Clear Our Path." Published by Mather & Company of Chicago, who produced hundreds of such posters for display in factories and offices during the 1920s, the series was among the first systematic attempts to use graphic design as a tool for workplace culture.