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Internationale

Poster
ca. 1976 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The "Internationale" was written in Paris, in June of 1871 by Eugène Pottier (1816 - 1887). He was a member of the Central Committee of the Commune, a political body formed by Parisians who opposed the National Assembly and the new Thiers-led government at the close of the Franco-Prussian War. The Commune was eventually violently crushed by Versailles troops with the help of Prussian forces.
Nonetheless Pottier's "Internationale" and the radical economic and social reforms proposed by the Commune have become popular symbols for radical throught and action up to the present. This poster links the efforts of the Paris Commune to the spirit of other labour-related, socialist and communist uprisings which were to follow.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleInternationale (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
printing
Brief description
"Internationale" poster by the Poster Collective, Tolmers Square, London, UK. ca. 1976.
Physical description
Yellow text on red. Five yellow and brown photographic images of historical events: 1871 Paris Commune; 1889 London Dockers Strike; 1916 Irish Citizen's Army; 1917 the Red Army USSR; 1919 the Red Clyde, Glasgow.
Dimensions
  • Height: 76.1cm
  • Width: 51.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
Internationale/ arise you prisoners of starvation/ arise you wretched of the earth./ for justice thunders condemnation. [...] this the final conflict...
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
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
The "Internationale" was written in Paris, in June of 1871 by Eugène Pottier (1816 - 1887). He was a member of the Central Committee of the Commune, a political body formed by Parisians who opposed the National Assembly and the new Thiers-led government at the close of the Franco-Prussian War. The Commune was eventually violently crushed by Versailles troops with the help of Prussian forces.
Nonetheless Pottier's "Internationale" and the radical economic and social reforms proposed by the Commune have become popular symbols for radical throught and action up to the present. This poster links the efforts of the Paris Commune to the spirit of other labour-related, socialist and communist uprisings which were to follow.
Other number
LS.1359 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.665-2004

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Record createdSeptember 29, 2004
Record URL
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