British Posters: Advertising, Art and Activism

Drawing on the V&A's extensive poster collection, this book traces the evolution of the poster in the hands of graphic designers and fine artists, advertising agencies and counter-cultural groups in Britain since 1945. The range spans 'Keep Britain Tidy' campaigns, lavishly produced Benson and Hedges billboards, punk rock posters, hand-printed indictments of Margaret Thatcher and public art projects on the Underground. From conflicts over the content and control of public space to posters blu-tacked to our bedroom walls, Catherine Flood examines how the poster in Britain has adapted itself to a changing technological environment and defied predictions of its demise.