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Posters and Prints

The UNT Libraries do not sell reproductions of posters, nor do we provide appraisals of posters or prints.

This page lists several sources of reproductions and original government posters. It also lists several appraisers as well as sites that provide guidance on evaluating your posters and prints.

Posters at the UNT Libraries

The Government Documents Department has a small selection of posters published by the United States government. Some of these posters are strictly utilitarian, while others are beautiful works of art.

The posters in our collection cover many subjects, such as health, the environment, natural resources, space, and the United States armed forces.

Many of these posters are indexed in the UNT Library Catalog. If you need a poster on any subject, ask at the Government Documents Service Desk.

Posters aren't normally allowed to be checked out, but if you need one for a class presentation, we may be able to arrange a special short-term loan.

Our World War Poster Collection is once again available in the Government Documents Department.

Posters Available Online

American Red Cross Posters (Shirley Powers, volunteer ARC historian)
[related site: Images of Hope: American Red Cross Posters, 1918–1951]
Annotated images of Red Cross posters arranged by decade. These posters were used to raise funds, recruit, promote, and expand awareness of Red Cross activities. Related collections on this site include counter cards, window stickers, workers badges, postcards, luggage stickers, and magazine covers.
DOL Poster Page (U.S. Department of Labor)
Some of the statutes and regulations enforced by agencies within the Department of Labor require that notices be posted in the workplace. This site provides electronic copies of the required posters.
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Includes a graphic of the food guide pyramid, available in black-and-white or color, and in large, poster size or in 8½" x 11".
Images of Hope: American Red Cross Posters, 1918–1951 (American Red Cross)
[related site: American Red Cross Posters]
Online exhibit based on the archives and collections of the American Red Cross. Includes extensively annotated images by such artists as Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, and N.C. Wyeth.
International Poster Gallery
Thumbnails of more than 3000 rare posters available for purchase. Can be searched by subject, artist, style, country, or detailed query form.
Job Safety and Health Protection Poster (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
All covered employers are required to display a poster prepared by the Department of Labor informing employees in plain language of the protections of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (P.L. 91-596, December 29, 1970) and its amendments. Federal government agencies must use the Federal Agency poster.
NASA Educational Products (U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Educational products used by NASA education staff at NASA-sponsored workshops and events. Includes links to educational wallsheets and lithographs, which may be purchased online or downloaded for free.
A New Deal for the Arts (National Archives and Records Administration)
This online exhibit on government support of the arts during the Depression includes several images of posters of the period, especially in the section called Useful Arts.
Northland Poster Collective
Selection of posters and other art for sale related to the themes of workers' rights and social justice.
Posters American Style (Smithsonian Institution)
This online exhibition, which accompanies a touring exhibition of the same name, brings together some of the great graphic images made in the United States over the past century. 
World War I & II Poster Collection (UNT)
UNT's online collection of posters from both the first and second World Wars.
World War II Posters (UNT)
Links to online collections of American and Canadian posters and Italian postcards, as well as a list of posters available in the UNT Libraries.
Transnational Poster Art: Former East Germany (GDR) and Latin America
1970-1989 (Stanford University Libraries)
Over 30 posters designed in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), and whose production was funded and encouraged by the East German government. Also some posters produced in Nicaragua and Chile that compliment the East German ones in terms of content, and other types of artwork created by Germans as well as Latin American citizens.
Visual Culture and Public Health Posters (National Library of Medicine)
This site provides images of public health posters from the twentieth century, as well as detailed explanatory text accompanying each poster.  Subject areas include Infectious Disease, Environmental Health, Anti-Smoking Campaigns, and HIV/AIDS.

Buying and Collecting Posters

Online Vendors and Auction Sites

The National Archives and Records Administration sells posters and facsimiles painstakingly reproduced from holdings in the National Archives.

Several online vendors sell rare or vintage posters. You can check these sites to see if they are selling a print or poster you would like for your collection:

Try searching for the title or artist in an online search engine such as Google to see if an individual has recently offered that work for sale on the Internet.

You can also try searching specific online auction sites such as Ebay. Keep in mind that art objects sold at auctions are often in poorer condition or are less rare than art objects sold through museums and galleries, therefore they tend to be worth less.

One way to get an idea of how much something of your own is worth is by seeing how much others have paid for the same or a comparable item.

How to Evaluate Posters and Prints

There are several factors to be considered in determining the value of a print or poster. For example, the printing method used, the rarity, the physical condition of the item, and even the subject matter can all affect an item’s value.

The following Web sites give general tips on determining the value of a print:

Price Guides

Price guides might also be helpful in determining the value of a print. They usually indicate the prices specific works of art have sold for at an auction and can only give the vaguest hint of what your art might be worth. These guides are usually published in paper or CD-ROM format and are most likely to be available in specialized university or museum libraries. They are not usually available online, and you may have to search through several volumes before you find something useful.

Here are some price guides that might be helpful for researching posters and prints:

  • Gordon’s Print Price Annual
  • Lawrences’s Dealer Print Prices International
  • Leonard’s Annual Price Index of Prints, Posters & Photographs
  • Official Price Guide to Military Collectibles: Sixth Edition, by Richard Austin (1998)
  • Warman’s Paper (Encyclopedia of Antiques and Collectibles), by Norman E. Martinus and Harry L. Rinker. (1994)
  • Prints, Posters, & Photographs Identification and Price Guide, by Susan Theran (1993)
  • Official Price Guide to Paper Collectibles, edited by Thomas E. Hugeons III (1980)

None of these specialized price guides is currently available at the UNT Libraries. For a list of more generalized price guides available at UNT, see Prints: Identification and Valuation.

Professional Appraisers

The staff of the UNT Libraries are neither qualified nor permitted to provide appraisals of works of art.

You can usually find a professional appraiser in the Yellow Pages, listed under the heading Appraisers.

The following Web sites offer various levels of appraisal and provide some tips on how professional appraisals are done, what kinds of appraisals are available, and how to determine whether you need one:

The following Web sites also list appraisers and provide contact information:

If you do not wish to pay for a professional appraisal, and you are merely looking for a general estimate of what your item might be worth, the following agencies provide free estimates. Keep in mind that if these agencies are hoping to buy from you, their estimates may be artificially low.

Auction Estimates (Sotheby's)
Learn how much your property is likely to be worth at a Sotheby’s auction. Allow about four to six weeks for a reply.
Ballpark Valuations (The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd.)
These are general price categories of prints that you can use to get at least some information on your items without paying a fee. These categories do not include a dollar value, but give a general sense of the “valuation” of the item in question.

Definitions of Printmaking Terms

Familiarizing yourself with the techniques and specialized vocabulary that printmakers and collectors of prints use can enhance your appreciation of your own print or poster.

The following Web sites provide definitions and explanations of printmaking techniques and related terminology:

This page is maintained by Bobby Griffith — last modified Monday, March 02, 2009. 03:54 PM
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