Poster Art-Movie-In Old Arizona

I maintain records on my trackables. They have the goal to circulate more than five years and to be moved by more than 25 cachers. That is a target rate of five drops per year for five years, or a drop every 73 days. The past average drop rate of my trackables in US is 124 days, in Europe it is 71 days. Please keep it moving, then drop it in a safe place!

If in the US, please drop it in a Premium Member only OR a rural cache near a busy trail or road. Do not place it in an urban cache or abandon it at a caching event where there is no security. Transport the bug in the original plastic bag for as long as the bag lasts; the bag keeps the trackable clean and dry, protects the number and prevents tangling with other items. Otherwise, take the trackable anywhere you wish.

This trackable is one of a series displaying poster art from its inception into the 20th Century. There are examples promoting events, travel, products and movies. There is no pattern to the images selected beyond there being something in them that caught my attention…I make no claim to having good taste. After the brief history below, there may be comments on the poster itself.

Although printed public announcements can be traced to the 15th century, the poster as it is understood today did not emerge until around 1860, given impetus by the invention of lithography, which allowed brilliantly colored posters to be produced cheaply and easily. And, and it could be posted wherever there was a public to see it.

Whether promoting a product, an event, or a sentiment (such as patriotism), a poster must immediately catch the attention of the passerby. There is no set way to accomplish this; success can stem from the instantaneous impact of a concise, striking design or from the sumptuous appeal of an ornate work of art. It was easily produced and immediate in impact.

The first of the great modern poster artists, Jules Chéret, began his career in 1867 with a theatrical poster announcing a performance by Sarah Bernhardt. His captivating depictions of the entertainers of Parisian night life, rendered in clear, radiant colors, dominated Paris displays for the last 30 years of the 19th century. He designed over 1000 posters. He was also the first designer who introduced sexuality in advertising. His advertising posters are among the earliest examples of the use of the female image for promotional purposes.

Interest in the poster was heightened by the appearance in the 1890s of the style known as Art Nouveau, characterized by flowing, organic lines, elegant grace, and a richly complex symbolism. Because it combined decorative brilliance with a faith that fine art could be popular and useful, the movement found the poster a natural form.

The period between the World Wars marks the transition from art nouveaux to art deco in the graphic arts. Whereas, the former had emphasized curves and romanticized figures and landscapes, art deco had more angular, stylized images of people and landscapes. In the mid-20th Century, art deco gave way to a kind of realism, but as can be seen among this collection of trackables, modern posters will still employ full-blown elements of both art nouveau and art deco.

Film or movie posters have been used since the earliest public exhibitions of film. They began as outside placards listing the program of (short) films to be shown inside the hall or movie theater. By the early 1900s, they began to feature illustrations of a film scene or an array of overlaid images from several scenes. Other posters have used artistic interpretations of a scene or even the theme of the film, represented in a wide variety of artistic styles. Film posters have become increasingly coveted by art collectors in recent years due to their known relative rarity, condition, artist, and art historical significance.

In Old Arizona was released in 1928. In was a movie featuring the Cisco Kid, in this version played by Warner Baxter. The Cisco Kid is a character created by the short story writer O. Henry. Cisco was originally a collection of B-western movies, but the character survived into the early days of television. This wasn’t even a good movie, but the corny poster makes me smile. Cisco is the made-up Hispanic character on the left. Note that the movie was advertised as 100% all-talking.