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Poster - The Elections Don't Mean Shit
  • The Elections Don't Mean Shit
    Students for a Democratic Society
  • Enlarge image

The Elections Don't Mean Shit

  • Object:

    Poster

  • Place of origin:

    USA, USA (made)

  • Date:

    1968 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Students for a Democratic Society (publishers)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Offset lithograph

  • Credit Line:

    Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko

  • Museum number:

    E.308-2004

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C, case Y66, shelf E

  • Image in copyright

Students for a Democratic Society was a radical political student organisation active in America during the 1960s and early '70s. It advocated 'participatory democracy', arguing that the American political system was only a democracy in name. The composition of the poster is carefully balanced, but the home-made 'cut-and-paste' style gives the protest energy and sincerity. The motif of the clenched fist was a widely recognised symbol of left-wing protest at the time.

Physical description

Black and white photomontage consisting of images of soldiers, police officers and protesters assembled from various conflicts. The central image is an illustration of a raised fist.

Place of Origin

USA, USA (made)

Date

1968 (made)

Artist/maker

Students for a Democratic Society (publishers)

Materials and Techniques

Offset lithograph

Marks and inscriptions

THE ELECTIONS/ DON'T MEAN SHIT/ VOTE WHERE THE POWER IS/ OUR POWER/ IS IN THE STREET
sds

Dimensions

Height: 56 cm, Width: 43.2 cm

Descriptive line

SDS anti-American government protest poster, United States. A Yale University student activist poster

Exhibition History

Propaganda Posters from the Schreyer Collection (Henry Cole Wing, Level 3 05/12/2002-23/03/2003)

Materials

Paper; Ink

Techniques

Offset lithography

Subjects depicted

Propaganda; Politics; Students; Elections

Categories

Prints; Propaganda

Collection code

PDP

Qr_O101193
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