Past Exhibitions 2005
Weapons of Mass Dissemination:
The Propaganda of War
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
William B. King, Poster Hold Up Your End!, 1918, commercial color lithograph, 27 ½ x 20 ½ inches, published by the American Red Cross, New York
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
R. Preuss, Plate, In Der Heimat, in der heimat, da giebts ein wieders[ehen] [At Home, at home, We Will Meet Again], 1918, glazed ceramic, 1 x 8 ¾ inches in diameter, manufactured by Konigliche Porzellan
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
Installation view, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, Tang Teaching Museum, 2005
José Bribiesca, Poster, Mexico por la libertad [Mexico for Liberty], 1942, commercial color lithograph, 35 ¼ x 27 inches, published by Secretaría de Gobernación, Mexico City
The two world wars waged during the first half of the twentieth century were “total wars” — wars in which whole nations, not just professional armies, were engaged in combat. Public support was crucial to ensure victory, so governments and private organizations commissioned posters and other items to evoke the deep passions necessary to maintain the war effort. Political propaganda was used to prepare the nation for war, encourage enlistment in the armed forces, promote wartime production, inform citizens about proper conduct, and provide assurance that the government was taking appropriate action. The design of these images and objects remains as powerful today as when they were first created, and many are disturbing reminders of societies — including our own — engulfed by fear, hate, racism, and death.
Numerous examples of wartime propaganda — including posters and paintings, sculpture, housewares, novelties, and children’s books and games — will be showcased in the exhibition. Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War presents an historic portrait of wartime culture, while inviting the spectator to reflect on the critical role that design plays in our lives, especially during times of conflict.
Exhibition Name
Weapons of Mass Dissemination:
The Propaganda of War
The Propaganda of War
Exhibition Type
Group Exhibitions
Place
Malloy Wing
Dates
Jun 25, 2005 - Oct 30, 2005
Curators
This exhibition is organized by Marianne Lamonaca, Assistant Director for Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs, Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida
and Sarah Schleuning, Assistant Curator, Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida.
Artists
John Adams, B. Alexander, Artists for Victory, Inc, Herbert Bayer, Giulio Bertoletti, De Bezige Bij, Joseph Binder, Gino Boccasile, Angel Bracho, José Bribiesca, Samuel Cahn, Edmound-François Calvo, Alfred Clauss, Dante Coscia, Victor Dancette, Elk Eber, Suzanne Ferrand, Ferrari, Carl Flick-Steger, Richard Förster, Francesco Gallio, Abram Games, Adam Games, Oreste Gasperini, Julius E. F. Gipkens, Philippe Grach, Hugo Gräfe, Otoyaki Hashimoto, Leon Helguera, André Hellé, Ludwig Hohlwein, Interwoven Stocking Co., Manuel Rey Isip, Michel Jacquot, Charles Sargeant Jagger, Edward McKnight Kauffer, William B. King, Julius Klinger, Von Franz Krimmling, R. M. Leclerc, Harold Liberman, Seymour Lipton, Barbara Marks, Herbert Matter, Sascha Maurer, Roumanbona M’Divani, Andrée Ménard, C. R. W. Nevinson, Plinio Nomellini, Cas Oorthuys, Louis Opp, A. T. Peel, Joseph Pennell, Königliche Porzellan, Shelley Potteries, Francisque Poulbot, R.A., R. Preuss, Erwin Schockel, Dora Shackell, Ben Shahn, Dainihon Sekisekai Shuppankyoku, Robert Smullyan Sloan, David H. Stech, G. A. Stevens, Jule Styne, Yukio Sugiura , Arthur Szyk, the Frost Toy Company, the Groetchen Tool & Manufacturing Company, the Kemper-Thomas Company, the Weatherhead Company, Elphinstone Thorpe, F. Touzet, US Manufacturing Corporation, Luigi Venzano, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Erich Wohlfahrt, Fukujiro Yokoi, Bruno Zach