Spanish Civil War Posters

August 4, 2007 7:02 PM

Spanish Civil War posters, utilizing many early modernist styles --like Art Deco, surrealism, realism, and photomontage-- to communicate with the people of Spain, many of whom were illiterate.
posted by Gamblor (20 comments total)

The section titles, translated:

Antifascist
Anti-imperialists/National Independence
Revolutionaries and Anti-oligarchical
Army and Military Services
Culture
Women
Childhood
Internationalism
Health/Solidarity
Economy and Production
Press Mural
Ideological/Propaganda
posted by Gamblor at 7:03 PM on August 4, 2007

Some of my favorites.
posted by Gamblor at 7:06 PM on August 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

if I'm not mistaken, these are all anarchist/communist posters.

Got any fascist ones?

Say what you will, but fascists from the 30's really got the futurist-art deco style down pat.
posted by Avenger at 7:24 PM on August 4, 2007

Yeah, but the revolutionary ones display well online or indeed anywhere, Avenger. The fascist ones look best hung by the ankles from lamp-posts.
posted by Abiezer at 7:26 PM on August 4, 2007 [2 favorites]

True. Nazi-esque posters don't look so groovy on your laptop's wallpaper. Kinda weird looking, actually. /understatement

Here's some more Spanish-Civil War posters.
posted by Avenger at 7:39 PM on August 4, 2007

Hey, thanks Gamblor, this is great! Seems there's tons of Russian poster stuff available, it's been reproduced and widely disseminated for years, but this is the first time I've seen such a great collection of Spanish posters from that period. Bookmarked!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:04 PM on August 4, 2007

very cool. some of the best posters are by the anarchists, called the CNT during the civil war.
posted by Flood at 8:15 PM on August 4, 2007

The CNT-FAI is still around, if I recall.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:41 PM on August 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Actually the Nazi propaganda posters are not very modernist at all. They tend towards the very realistic. Cool futurist posters were decadent art to them.

I used to own a copy of this Spanish Civil War poster. Many are available as reproductions.

I became fascinated with propaganda posters after working on a museum exhibition on them in graduate school.
posted by Ironmouth at 9:06 PM on August 4, 2007

Interesting how this one eschews fancy design for a visceral punch to the gut.
posted by Rangeboy at 9:20 PM on August 4, 2007

The CNT is still going strong, but IIRC there was a split when they were able to organise openly again after the death of Franco (the fascist we learned to live with) involving who got the returned assets of the original pre-War. The one linked is the affiliate of the IWA.
posted by Abiezer at 9:46 PM on August 4, 2007

Pre-War union, that would be. The other organisation is now called the CGT.
posted by Abiezer at 9:48 PM on August 4, 2007

Kawaii!
posted by Anything at 9:49 PM on August 4, 2007

Excellent post. For the ultimate visual fusion of Communism and Nazism (please let me never type that again) check out the NBP's flag. I just found out about them today, [via]. They seem to have an especially interesting position as Putin's opposition and inspiration. Previously, though all the links appear to be broken.
posted by thrako at 10:11 PM on August 4, 2007

Yikes! That NBP flag is, er... wow, that's weird. That is some conflicting/conflicted/confluckted imagery right there, boy.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:18 PM on August 4, 2007

I wish I had something to add to the subject of the Spanish Civil War, but Gamblor has clearly covered everything. To add to the diversity of images here is a Dali representation of the USA. Also, the propaganda in Iraq is begging for a FPP.
posted by thrako at 11:28 PM on August 4, 2007

No pasaran!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:04 AM on August 5, 2007

When it comes to art of the Spanish Civil War, I always liked this one.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:50 AM on August 5, 2007

Fantastic. I've been looking for an archive like this for years.
posted by mwhybark at 10:16 AM on August 5, 2007

I've seen a lot of Axis and Allied WWII propaganda posters, but this is new to me. Thanks a lot.
posted by Devils Slide at 6:46 PM on August 5, 2007