Comments on: Vintage National Parks Posters

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:03:19 +0000

Wow. Thanks. I had done a brief search on loc.gov with the same thought, but didn’t find them.

By: Billy G

Billy G — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:22:28 +0000

You can get high res versions of at least some of these via the Library of Congress site:
http://www.loc.gov. Search for National Park Posters. Some have not been digitized but some have. Just work your way through the first 10 or so links.
The print has a meta data page with a link to the actual graphics file.

I downloaded a very large tif (4k x 5k) of the Zion poster from
http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.13400/

By: Andreas

Andreas — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:37:36 +0000

So simple so beautiful – that’s art.

By: Daniel Sponton

Daniel Sponton — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:17:36 +0000

Hi Charley,
what a good taste you have choosing artist. I like very very much the things you show us into your blog. Thanks!

By: Martina

Martina — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:06:52 +0000

Wow, these posters are amazing! I love the style of this time, today, we have an overdoze of visual stimulation – that’s why simple is so appealing.

By: Sean Neprud

Sean Neprud — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:55:52 +0000

These look great! I wish there were larger images available to get a closer look at how these were printed.

I was just in two of the parks featured in those prints, and did some drawings with the intention of working a couple into woodblock prints. These offer a nice visual perspective.

By: Dave Dubé

Dave Dubé — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:49:19 +0000

There is someone marketing contemporary park posters using the style of the originals. I’ve seen them in the framing section of our local Ben Franklin.

By: Mike Burke

Mike Burke — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:24:17 +0000

Fun posters – silk-screen prints, I believe and I was saddened to not see that kind of information provided on the National Geographic site.

This post led me to think about two things from years ago.

“See The USA in your Chevrolet” I’m sure most who remember this remember it from the TV commercial jingle. If I remember correctly, along with the TV spots there were full page ads in newspapers and magazines along with posters in the dealerships and some of that art was a play on the classic travel posters. Selling travel became using travel to sell your product. As a kid back in the 60s I got a kick out of that concept.

Then in the 70s I got another laugh when I saw two or three Air Force recruiting posters with shots of the air-lifter over popular landmarks and the slogan “See the USA in a C-5A!”

Now I’m remembering more of those old ad campaigns. Anyone else remember “It’s ugly, but it gets you there”? That’s what I like most about this blog. The entries get me to thinking about things and I never know where that thinking will lead me.