Module 4: Graphic Design and the Industrial Revolution



This chapter was well, a journey through time that I know my printer father would have loved to take with me! I enjoyed learning the different styles of the beginning 19th century & the Victorian era. I think that we sometimes "complain" about the clutter of Victorian design but we have to remember where they were coming from. For the first time in History, masses of people had things. Their floors were covered instead of hard packed dirt for example. They could purchase items that used to be just for the rich like books because of mass reproduction. They wanted to show their things off.  They were proud of their processions that their ancestors did not have access to. That is my personal opinion of why they loved "clutter."

I was curious about Thomas Nast and how his Civil War sketches helped win the war according to General Ulysses S. Grant so I looked him up. His sketches are incredible! Found  http://www.sonofthesouth.net/Thomas_Nast.htm:  Here are a couple of samples:


Thomas Nast: Emancipation

 I Love the detail  of his drawings and during this time frame, people loved the ornate and very cluttered look (Victorian). The textbook pointed out why posters are cluttered and it was because people had more time to look at them; a slower pace lifestyle. So I imagine that the same holds true of these kinds of illustrations.

 



He also created the political symbols for the political parties, the Replublian elephant and the Democratic donkey.

Here is his Santa Claus. He is credited with created our modern concept of Santa Claus. I think these illustrations represents the best of the age, Family, cheerful optimism, and all is well here attitude. His use of each area of space is unbelievably controlled and gives much information to "tell a story."

Sources:

http://www.historyconfidential.com/2010/02/the-political-symbols-donkey-and-elephant/

http://www.seanet.com/~jimxc/Politics/December2005_3.html