The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery recently unveiled its newest exhibit, entitled "The Art of Persuasion: Poster Design From 1896 through 2008." The exhibit showcases popular and historical posters and silkscreen prints from around the world, and is largely composed of "selections [that] were drawn from UMBC's Special Collections as well as public and private collections," according to the library's website. The posters in this exhibit are arranged to follow three themes, "Pleasure & Leisure, Politics & Propaganda, and Commercial Advertising."

Some of the most familiar works of art are found within the "Politics & Propaganda" section, which includes pieces like the Uncle Sam "want[s] YOU for U.S. Army" poster, as well as a poster depicting U.S. President Barack Obama, with the words "Yes We Did" written in a banner across the top of the image. This group also includes several WWI and II posters, ranging from images promoting the Red Cross to a particularly shocking image of an arm clad in a Nazi uniform holding a knife through a Bible, entitled "This Is The Enemy." Foreign propaganda posters and images from the Vietnam War era are also housed within this group.

The "Commercial Advertising" theme features several beloved American icons, like 7-Up soda, whose poster displays the former and now retro slogan "You like it, it likes you." A nearby poster pays homage to the Volkswagen Beetle, and depicts another vehicle asking the Volkswagen, "'54? You don't look it." There are also several older foreign advertisements, promoting goods like suspenders, ladies stockings, and French-Vietnamese cigarettes. Placards on the walls near every poster serve to assist the linguistically or conceptually puzzled viewer.

Within the "Pleasure & Leisure" theme, the most striking image by far is a gigantic, full-color poster promoting the Ringling Brothers Circus, situated along the back wall of the gallery and hopefully not missed because of this inconspicuous location. This theme also promotes several Baltimore designers and their artwork, as well as album artwork for bands, among them the cover of "Anarchy in the U.K." by the Sex Pistols.

Almost all of the images exude prominent and visually arresting colors, and even posters that are significantly older still retain their eye-catching qualities. Many of the posters within these themes are grouped together, but some are spaced about the gallery, allowing a cohesive viewing experience (both thematically and chronologically) that extends all the way into the back of the gallery near the Special Collections office.

Although this exhibit opened on August 25th, a public "exhibition lecture" will be held on Oct. 8th, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the gallery, according to the library website. This "discussion on poster design will be led by Post Typography, an award-winning design studio based in Baltimore, Maryland," and will be followed by a reception.

"The Art of Persuasion: Poster Design from 1896 through 2008" is open to the public during the library gallery's daily hours, and will remain in the gallery until December 13, 2009.