“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
― Mark Twain
‘Tis the season for everything politics. To keep you in the know, check out these images that cover politics from every angle.
Equal parts creative design and political suave, campaign posters have been a centerpiece of political communication from the branding of regimes to the legacy of the Works Progress Administration. Explore some of our favorites below.
Anti-Vietnam war poster satirising Richard Nixon, 1969 (litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark American Pictures / Bridgeman Images
“War’s First Casualty”, America First Committee, propaganda poster from World War II, 1941 (litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Topham Picturepoint / Bridgeman Images
Wanted Poster for Margaret Thatcher / Universal History Archive/UIG / Bridgeman Images
Proletariat of the World, Unite and Crush US Imperialism (colour litho), Chinese School, (20th century) / Private Collection / © The Chambers Gallery, London / Bridgeman Images
‘Bowl Them Over: More Production’, War Production Board poster (colour litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / DaTo Images / Bridgeman Images
Suffragette hand bill and poster, c.1912 / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images
John F. Kennedy presidential election campaign poster, 1960 (colour litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark American Pictures / Bridgeman Images
Political cartoons are for the most part composed of two elements: caricature, which parodies the individual, and allusion, which creates the situation or context into which the individual is placed. Check out our top pics from the archive.
‘Capital hand in hand with Labor’, in ‘The Verdict’, 1899 (colour litho), American School, (19th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark American Pictures / Bridgeman Images
‘Boo-hoo the New Deal is ruining the Country’, cartoon of the effects of Franklin Roosevelt’s (1882-1945) economic policies, 1936 (litho) / Bridgeman Images
The great tumble bug of Missouri: Benton rolling his ball, 1837 (colour litho), American School, (19th century) / American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA / Bridgeman Images
‘Money is Power – Save through the Post Office Savings Bank’ (colour litho), English School, (20th century) / British Postal Museum and Archive, London, UK / © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2016 courtesy of The Postal Museum / Bridgeman Images
Invest your money with Uncle Sam!’, advertisement for Liberty Bonds, c.1917-18 (colour litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / DaTo Images / Bridgeman Images
‘A Frightful Case of Inflation’, c.1863 (litho), American School, (19th century) / American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA / Bridgeman Images
Presidents of the United States of America:
From oil paintings of our oldest presidents to stunning color photographs of current officers, check out these archive gems.
Portrait of George Washington (1732-99) 1772 (oil on canvas), Peale, Charles Willson (1741-1827) / Washington University, St. Louis, USA / Bridgeman Images
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (colour litho), Pyle, Howard (1853-1911) / National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC, USA / Bridgeman Images
Campaign poster for William Mckinley (1843-1901) as President and Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) as Vice-President, 1900 (colour litho), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark American Pictures / Bridgeman Images
USA / Japan: President Roosevelt bestows Congressional Medal of Honor on Brigadier General James Doolittle for a successful raid on Tokyo, 19 May, 1942 / Pictures from History / Bridgeman Images
Churchill entertaining Truman and Stalin at a Dinner Party at the Prime Minister’s residence in Potsdam, 23rd July 1945 (b/w photo) / Potsdam, Germany / © Mirrorpix / Bridgeman Images
Presidential Election: Kennedy, 1960 (screenprint), Rosenquist, James (b.1933) / Musee National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France / Bridgeman Images
‘President is Killed’, front page of the ‘Chicago Daily News’, 22nd November 1963 (newsprint), American School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark American Pictures / Bridgeman Images
USA: Barack Obama (1961 – ), 44th President of the United States (2009-2016), official portrait in the Oval Office, December 6, 2012 / Bridgeman Images
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