Critical Studies Image Analysis Exercise...

Critical studies image analysis exercise

Poster by Savile Lumley (1915)

The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York

A compare and contrast between the work of Schumacher & Ettlinger and Savile Lumley.

The image by S&E is called ‘The Uncle Sam Range (1876)’ which is an advertising image and the other is a propaganda poster by Lumley in 1915.

Firstly to compare the use of imagery within each poster and how it is effectively used to communicate to an audience in accordance to the tone of voice and message that is trying to be portrayed.

The Uncle Sam poster uses an extensive range of imagery from realistic to dream like imagery,  there is a lot going on within the image, there appears to be a dinner party going on of which there are several unusual guests including the World, Uncle Sam, a bald eagle, Dixi, West and New England, a black servant and a woman. The party looks very extravagant and fun.

The point of the imagery used was to symbolise America in all its glory as well as the new Uncle Sam Range (oven), Uncle Sam’s new range has invited America and the world to its dinner party not only to advertise the oven but also to show celebration of 100 years of America (1776-1876, as shown on the clock in the image). Dixi, West, New England, the bald eagle, the black slave, the photo of the Centenary Hall in Philadelphia, the colours of the image, even the font are all representations of traditional well known symbols or places in America. It is a very patriotic image.

With the Lumley propaganda poster the imagery used is kept to a minimal, there are three people in the image, a man, his presumably young daughter and son. The father and daughter are on a chair whilst the girl holds a book, and the young boy is very involved with playing with his toy soldiers. The symbolism used on certain parts of the image give a sense of patriotisms, like the curtains which are decorated with the English Rose and the Fleur De Le patterned chair and the toy soldiers that the son is playing with are dressed in red which are the Queens Guards, they have done it in a subtle way but it really effects the poster is communicated.

The imagery used in both is meant to set a tone of voice, the S&E poster is very proud and patriotic to the ideal American lifestyle, whereas the Lumley poster is trying to be more direct to its audience and in a way trying to guilt trip its audience. The Lumley poster was designed as a recruitment poster for the First World War, the only type in the image says ‘Daddy what did YOU do in the Great War?’ This is either implying that the father in the image has gone to war and fought and the daughter is asking him what he has done, or he has not fought in the war and the question from the daughter brings up guilt and shame for not fighting for his Queen and country. It’s more of an honourable poster than about patriotism.

The font used in each image plays an important role too, in the Uncle Sam poster the font that has been used is similar to what would have been used in saloon bars in the Wild West, again the link with American patriotism. This font has been used as the Wild West was known to be a place of the free spirited and freedom. In the Lumley poster the font used is elegant and set in italic, it represents a better lifestyle and it is more intimate and friendly to the audience. In both images the text has been centralised at the bottom of the page, just under the image. It is important for the text to be where it is as you look straight from the main imagery to the text which is telling you something important in a tone of voice relating to the purpose of the imagery.

There are many social and historical contexts that are conveyed in the images that are relevant to its production. In the Uncle Sam poster the time on the clock is indicating the year in which America was born and the relation to Independence Day 4^th July (1776). The Lumley poster has the young boy playing with the toy soldiers in front of his father, the poster was created for after the First World War so in a way the boy is directly challenging his father in terms of the text used to. The boy is interested in the war and fighting unlike his father.

The family in Lumley’s poster is well dressed and by the appearance of the book, well educated too, maybe showing that whether or not if you go to fight in the war you are still well off.

Overall in terms of imagery the American advertising image is patriotic and proud, they are trying to portray America as being more superior to the rest of the world. Whereas Lumley’s war propaganda is being quite direct to his audience but in a friendly way.

Both pieces have used similar ways to visually communicate to an audience and different tones of voices have been portrayed through their techniques.