Female artists and the british poster movement (1919-1939)

Abstract

My research examines the output of over 150 female artists who contributed to the 'poster movement' in Britain (1919 and 1939). Challenging the conventionally male-focused nature of Art History I explore how these women used the alternative medium of the poster to achieve artistic notoriety and consider how this connected to the changing social, political, and cultural position of women during the interwar. My research focuses specifically on women's work for major companies and bodies, including the government's Empire Marketing Board campaign and the General Post Office's publicity drive. This allows me to explore both the impact of women on the visual culture of the interwar period and the relationship between poster work and the wider growth in female power and autonomy during this time.