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Vote with us

Poster
1989 (designed and printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This poster was issued on the occasion of the first democratic parliamentary elections in Poland on June 4th 1989. It appeared at the same time throughout the whole of the Eastern Bloc. Although there is no direct information about which candidate is being supported, the message of the poster is clear. The lettering and symbol of the Polish flag used to depict the slogan 'Vote with us' is based on the Solidarity logo designed by Jerzy Janiszewski in 1980. This kind of design reveals the power of the logo and its grounded position in people's minds. The typeface called 'Solidarics' (Solidaryca) was so recognizable and popular, that the designer decided to omit the very name 'Solidarity' without sacrificing the poster's legibility. The form of the original typeface, which was inspired by an image of people joined together in a dense crowd, is juxtaposed with a black and white picture of a crowd.

Solidarity, founded in September 1980, was the first free trade union in an Eastern Bloc country. It became the leading political force opposing the communist regime in Poland. Eventually the Polish Government was forced to negotiate with the Solidarity-led opposition, resulting in semi-free elections on 4th June 1989. This marked a crucial stage in the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Vote with us (popular title)
  • Pro-democracy Poster Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Offset lithograph printed in black and red on paper
Brief description
Poster for the Solidarity trade union movement. Poland, 1989.
Physical description
Poster depicting a black and white aerial photograph of a dense crowd.
Dimensions
  • Height: 59cm
  • Width: 84.3cm
Summary
This poster was issued on the occasion of the first democratic parliamentary elections in Poland on June 4th 1989. It appeared at the same time throughout the whole of the Eastern Bloc. Although there is no direct information about which candidate is being supported, the message of the poster is clear. The lettering and symbol of the Polish flag used to depict the slogan 'Vote with us' is based on the Solidarity logo designed by Jerzy Janiszewski in 1980. This kind of design reveals the power of the logo and its grounded position in people's minds. The typeface called 'Solidarics' (Solidaryca) was so recognizable and popular, that the designer decided to omit the very name 'Solidarity' without sacrificing the poster's legibility. The form of the original typeface, which was inspired by an image of people joined together in a dense crowd, is juxtaposed with a black and white picture of a crowd.

Solidarity, founded in September 1980, was the first free trade union in an Eastern Bloc country. It became the leading political force opposing the communist regime in Poland. Eventually the Polish Government was forced to negotiate with the Solidarity-led opposition, resulting in semi-free elections on 4th June 1989. This marked a crucial stage in the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe.
Collection
Accession number
E.2205-1990

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2009
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