This is a poster for Hart Schaffner & Marx, who made hand-tailored clothing for men. Book and magazine publishers, who knew the value of good illustration, led a change in American poster advertising in the 1890s. They were aware of the French ‘artistic’ poster and recognised the need for distinctive images aimed at the leisured, educated and wealthy classes. These images would distinguish their productions from the rapidly expanding mass of publications. The designs of Edward Penfield (1866-1925) were a complete contrast to the printers’ realistic detailed imagery with stippled shading. His images are distinguished by sensitive pen outlines, blocks of a limited number of colours and simple compositions.