All American Ads 1900-1919: Steven Heller

The dawn of consumerism: when ads were works of art
A far cry from the aggressive ads we`ve become used to, American print advertisements from the first two decades of the 20th century were almost shockingly pleasant. Intricately designed and beautifully illustrated, often in the art nouveau style popular at the time, four-color, full-page magazine advertisements were welcome respites from the bland, text-filled pages among which they appeared. Sales pitches were earnest and friendly; beer, for example, was billed as "The Evening Glass of Cheer" and toothpaste was described as "Delicious Ribbon Dental Cream"-perhaps not the catchiest slogans, but they were on to something. The American consumerist boom of the 20th century was just beginning and advertising was getting its sea legs. From motorcars to hair tonics to steamship cruises to Coca-Cola ("After the theatre drink a glass… it relieves fatigue"), America was peddling its wares in style and setting an example of how to advertise in the modern age. This exhaustive compendium of ads from the period-many of which haven`t been seen for over eight decades-is a fascinating reminder of surprisingly simpler times and a rediscovery of a forgotten age in advertising history.
About the editor:
Cultural anthropologist and graphic design historian Jim Heimann is Executive Editor for TASCHEN America, and author of numerous books on architecture, pop culture, and the history of the West Coast, Los Angeles and Hollywood. His unrivaled private collection of ephemera has featured in museum exhibitions around the world and dozens of books.
About the author:
Steven Heller, co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author Program, writes the "Visuals" column for the New York Times Book Review, and is the author of 120 books on design, illustration, and satiric art.
Издание на английском, французском, японском, испанском и немецком языках.