Book Review: The Complete 'Masters of the Poster'

Stanley Appelbaum, The Complete 'Masters of the Poster': all 256 color plates from les Maîtres de l'affiche. New York: Dover, 2016. ISBN: 9780486263090.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: art, art catalog
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley

The Masters of the Poster was a prestigious art publication that collected 256 color plates of turn of the 19th century posters. People basically got the publication back then via subscription; subscribers received four posters via mail every month. The book is a reprint of a 1990 edition; the posters came out between 1895 and 1900. The posters range in  content from art to advertising. This Dover edition brings these rare posters in their original numbering sequence to a broader generation.

The book features a list of plates with  details about the posters. This is then followed by the art plates reproduced in color. The book also provides literal translations of the text in the posters into English for the posters that were printed into languages other than English. Overall though the notes are pretty minimal.

In the end, the book is a nice and pleasant collection to look over. It is also a glimpse into the 19th century and an art form that is rare now. Libraries with art collections may be interested in this one.

3 out of 5 stars.