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Three vintage posters are displayed side by side. The first is a blue and red abstract design with the word “Modiano”. The second is a yellow poster featuring a stylized blue figure and the word “Cora”. The third shows a person in ski goggles and a hat, with text reading “Eastern Ski Championships” and the dates “February 26–27”.

Graphic Design: Stunning new book The Art Deco Poster celebrates graphic magnificence of the interwar years

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Date
16 October 2013

There must be something in the chilly October air because another day, another sumptuous book of astonishing graphics for us to pore over. William W. Crouse (always a fan of the middle initial used Samuel L. Jackson style) is a long-time poster collector particularly drawn to the Art Deco heyday of the interwar years, when post war optimism and technological advancement crested in an age of optimism, before it receded, giving way to a crippling economic depression and eventually another war.

This expertise makes him the perfect person to select around 360 examples of the most interesting, innovative and eye-catching poster design from this fascinating period and collect them together in The Art Deco Poster. Organised thematically, they are exhibited alongside illuminating explanatory texts which focus both on the aesthetic and socio-cultural aspects of these gorgeous artefacts. But the visuals are given centre stage, reproduced in both a scale and a quality that helps convey their brilliance.

Now excuse us while we get this drool mopped up…

The Art Deco Poster published by Thames & Hudson is available now.

A book cover featuring a stylised Art Deco illustration of a large ocean liner seen from the front. Bold text across the centre reads “THE ART DECO POSTER”. Smaller text at the bottom lists the author as “WILLIAM W. CROUSE” and the publisher as “Thames & Hudson”.
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William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Publsihed by Thames & Hudson)

A vintage travel poster featuring two stylised planes flying across a blue sky. One plane is bright red and the other is white, both leaving long, geometric trails behind them. Bold green text at the bottom reads “ITALIAN AERIAL LINES”, flanked by two “ENIT” logos.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

An Art Deco poster featuring a stylised orange figure climbing between two giant black pencils. Bold blue text at the bottom reads “GOLD STARRY” and “LE STYLO QUI MARCHE..”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

An Art Deco illustration for Bp Ethyl fuel featuring a white horse rearing up. A stylized figure in orange leans against the horse, with the words “BP ETHYL” in bold, light blue lettering. At the bottom, a caption reads “CONTROLS HORSE POWER”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

An Art Deco poster for Orbea bicycles. A stylised blue bicycle handlebar and fork are set against a blue silhouette of a cyclist on a yellow background. Bold black text at the bottom reads “BICICLETAS ORBEA”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

An illustration of a stylised figure in a yellow coat standing beside a brown overcoat. Bold, geometric lettering at the bottom reads “PKZ”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A vintage travel poster showing a red racing car speeding along a winding mountain road in Switzerland. Jagged purple peaks rise against a yellow sky, with the word “Suisse” in the top right. Bold red text at the bottom reads “VIIIe Course Internationale du Klausen”, with the dates “9–10 Août 1930”. Smaller text describes it as “La super-course de côte de l’Europe”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A graphic poster on a yellow background featuring a row of stylised, rounded figures in blue. The lead figure holds up a cocktail glass, with the word “Vermouth” written in red above them. Large red text at the bottom reads “Cora” and “Torino”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A graphic poster featuring a stylised, abstract figure in a black hat and coat. A white line curves across the composition, connecting the figure’s mouth to a red hand holding a cigarette. The word “MODIANO” appears in bold, white capital letters across the bottom.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A vintage travel poster showing three skiers gliding down a slope, leaving long blue trails behind them. Bold red text at the bottom reads “at LAKE PLACID”.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A vintage poster featuring a stylised silhouette of a steam train against a multi-coloured, abstract background. Bold text at the bottom reads “THE NIGHT SCOTSMAN” and “Leaves King’s Cross nightly at 10.25.”
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

A vintage travel poster featuring three figures diving into a blue sea from a pale yellow beach. Bold orange text at the top reads “SUNSHINE AND SURF”, with the word “AUSTRALIA” in large white letters at the bottom.
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Poster from William W. Crouse: The Art Deco Poster (Published by Thames & Hudson)

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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