15 Years
Poster
ca. 1932 (made)
ca. 1932 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This poster is an excellent example of Soviet, so-called "red", propaganda. To commemorate 15 years of Soviet rule, this poster was produced. In the upper section, it boasts how Soviet productivity is steadily on the rise, while during the same period in America, the stock market crash led to the Great Depression. The timing of the Depression provided the perfect platform for showcasing capitalism's shortcomings. Many Americans were plunged into abject poverty at the time. Note the smiling faces of the healthy Soviet proletariat versus long queues of the American unemployed. The bleak American future is predicted by accompanying graphs and tables. Part of the text reads:
"Industry's aim is not to better the material level of the working class but to guarantee huge capitalist profit. / Gross National Income is not divided in the interests of the working class but in the interest of exploiters as a way to maximise profit."
Of course, this rhetoric does not mention that this same Soviet productivity surge was in no small part due to the brutal totalitarian regime under which a great many suffered. This poster would have been displayed in public places to capture the imaginations of impressionable youth who would seize on the contrasts between Soviet success and American hardship, though the quoted figures were completely fabricated.
"Industry's aim is not to better the material level of the working class but to guarantee huge capitalist profit. / Gross National Income is not divided in the interests of the working class but in the interest of exploiters as a way to maximise profit."
Of course, this rhetoric does not mention that this same Soviet productivity surge was in no small part due to the brutal totalitarian regime under which a great many suffered. This poster would have been displayed in public places to capture the imaginations of impressionable youth who would seize on the contrasts between Soviet success and American hardship, though the quoted figures were completely fabricated.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | 15 Years (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | colour lithograph |
Brief description | "15 Years" propaganda poster celebrating the achievements of Soviet Rule (in contrast to America's Great Depression). USSR, ca. 1932. |
Physical description | Poster promoting the achievements of society under Soviet rule, divided in two halves: "Ours [Soviet]" and "Theirs [American Capitalist]" with photographic images, bar graphs and percentages. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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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 | This poster is an excellent example of Soviet, so-called "red", propaganda. To commemorate 15 years of Soviet rule, this poster was produced. In the upper section, it boasts how Soviet productivity is steadily on the rise, while during the same period in America, the stock market crash led to the Great Depression. The timing of the Depression provided the perfect platform for showcasing capitalism's shortcomings. Many Americans were plunged into abject poverty at the time. Note the smiling faces of the healthy Soviet proletariat versus long queues of the American unemployed. The bleak American future is predicted by accompanying graphs and tables. Part of the text reads: "Industry's aim is not to better the material level of the working class but to guarantee huge capitalist profit. / Gross National Income is not divided in the interests of the working class but in the interest of exploiters as a way to maximise profit." Of course, this rhetoric does not mention that this same Soviet productivity surge was in no small part due to the brutal totalitarian regime under which a great many suffered. This poster would have been displayed in public places to capture the imaginations of impressionable youth who would seize on the contrasts between Soviet success and American hardship, though the quoted figures were completely fabricated. |
Other number | LS.2700 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.1227-2004 |
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Record created | November 16, 2004 |
Record URL |
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