Graphic Design Comparison: 1876 Handbill vs. Paula Scher

Introduction: Typography Across a Century

Graphic design has the power to shape our world and reflect our history. This is abundantly clear when examining two works of graphic design separated by more than a century. This paper examines the similarities and differences between an 1876 handbill advertising excursion tickets to Baltimore and Paula Scher's poster for the Public Theater.

Shared Visual Strategies: Typography, Color, and Urgency

One major similarity between these two posters, despite being separated by over 100 years, is that they both employ a visually arresting typography. Both posters use a font that is recognizable yet difficult to identify precisely, and each depends on the use of large letterforms for the words considered most important. As Pentagram notes, "The 1995 posters Pentagram designed for The Public Theater's production of Savion Glover's Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk featured the wood typefaces used throughout The Public's identity" (Pentagram.com). In the case of the handbill, the largest and most prominent word is Maryland. In the case of Scher's poster, the dominant word is Public, since the poster is intended to draw attention to all the artistry occurring at the Public Theater.

Both the poster and the handbill rely on a bold use of color to grab the viewer's attention. In the Scher poster, the background is a vivid yellow that commands immediate notice; in the handbill, the background is neutral, and it is the text color — a fire-engine red — that commands attention. Both examples of graphic design use typefaces designed to communicate with the viewer in a manner that is easy to understand yet generates excitement through simplicity. The font of the Scher poster is difficult to pinpoint: it looks both new and familiar. There is a vividness that allows information to be absorbed thoroughly while radiating a strong sense of bravado.

Both promotional materials also create a sense of movement and urgency in their own ways. The handbill uses varying font sizes, stressing important words in larger letterforms and employing exclamation points for emphasis. The Scher poster imitates this historical trend, drawing upon historical models of graphic design, but transforming them into a unique form of expression (Meggs & Purvis, 603). The Public Theater poster is described as "a refined and more expressive version of nineteenth-century typographic posters combined with the playful spirit of Dada" (Meggs & Purvis, 603).

The handbill also exhibits a prime intent of engaging the viewer. By the Industrial Revolution, typography was fundamentally about communicating with the masses: "Through signs, posters, newspapers, periodicals and advertisements, typefaces became larger and catchier, with bolder lettering and shading — as well as experimental serif and sans serif typefaces" (Seibert). This handbill demonstrates an intense desire both to communicate with its recipient and to make the sale: the desired outcome is that the person holding the handbill will purchase a ticket. The large font, red coloring, and exclamation points all work together to create an overwhelming sense of urgency in this regard.

The Scher poster pursues the same goal through similar means: its large font, exclamation points, and use of color urge the viewer to purchase a ticket. More specifically, the Scher poster promises that remarkable experiences await those who participate in what the Public Theater has to offer. This is achieved through color as well, but unlike the handbill, the Scher poster relies on the contrast of two main colors — yellow and black — to create a sense of vibrancy, like an energetic bumblebee in motion. Almost imperceptibly, the poster introduces touches of red to make important details stand out, such as the phrase "membership is easy" printed at the bottom of the page.

Industrial-Era Lettering and the 1876 Handbill

The handbill showcases a form of elaborate lettering that was indicative of the industrial era. As one design historian notes, "Ornamental typography was another major highlight in this era. In the 1800s, medieval art and hand-crafted individual art had become commonplace, and international artistic styles developed considerably" (Seibert). The handbill presents at least five or more distinct fonts — some bold, others not — and plays with font size within individual words. A strategic example is the word Maryland: the entire word is capitalized, but only the M and D are the same large size. The remaining letters are uniformly smaller, creating a sandwiching effect in which the M and D receive both memorability and emphasis — much like the official state abbreviation, MD.

Conclusion

The two promotional materials examined in this paper are both effective at the tasks they set out to achieve. They both engage the viewer, command attention, and successfully communicate a message. Both demonstrate how simple but deliberate design choices — font selection, font size, and color scheme — can have a tremendous impact on the spectator and on the overall effectiveness of the piece. The Scher poster is pleasantly evocative of the style demonstrated in the 19th-century handbill, a style typical of the industrial era. However, Scher was able to harness the freedoms of modern production to make the design more relevant to its subject matter and more visually vibrant. Ultimately, by subverting and adapting historical design elements, she created a more meaningful, vivacious, and animated work — one that was recognized in its own time and that has secured her a lasting place in the history of graphic design.

Works Cited

Douglas, Ava. "Typography." History of Graphic Design, www.historygraphicdesign.com/a-graphic-renaissance/printing-comes-to-europe/827-typography-2. Accessed 11 May 2018.

Heller, Steven, and Mirko Ilic. Stop, Think, Go, Do: How Typography and Graphic Design Influence Behavior. Rockport Publishers, 2012.

Meggs, Philip B., and Alston W. Purvis. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. 2016.

MoMA.org. "Paula Scher. The Public Theater, 95–96 Season. 1995 | MoMA." MoMA, www.moma.org/collection/works/8840. Accessed 11 May 2018.

Pentagram.com. "The Public Theater — Story — Pentagram." Pentagram, www.pentagram.com/work/the-public-theater/story. Accessed 11 May 2018.

Seibert, John. "The Evolution of Typography: A Brief History." Print Magazine, 10 June 2015, www.printmag.com/typography/evolution-typography-history/.