Ephemera Events, News & Exhibitions

Bloomsbury Ephemera, Postcard & Book Fair

The fair will include all of the following: books, ephemera, maps, prints, posters, postcards, photographs and many unusual printed items across the whole of the Galleon Suite.

• Royal National Hotel
• Bedford Way
• London WC1H 0DG
• UK
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This major exhibition explores the life and legacy of the iconic designer Abram Games, focusing on his time as 'Official War Poster Artist' during the Second World War. Always direct, and occasionally controversial, Games's wartime posters have left a legacy that continues to influence the art of persuasion employed by visual designers today.

Inspired by his Jewish heritage, his experiences as a soldier, and the turbulent politics of the time, Games used his talent for visual communication to recruit, educate and influence soldiers and civilians alike.

In helping to transform new conscripts into trained soldiers, encouraging support for the war effort and presenting an idealistic vision of post-war Britain, Games's work offers a fascinating picture of a nation at war.

The art of persuasion examines the techniques Games used to communicate his messages effectively. From stark imagery and visual puns to innovative use of the airbrush, his unique artistic approach changed the face of British graphic design.

The exhibition includes posters from the National Army Museum’s collection alongside objects on loan from the family of Abram Games.

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• National Army Museum
• Royal Hospital Road
• London, SW3 4HT
• UK
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Designed in Cuba: Cold War Graphics

Power to the People, 1971 © Rafael Morante Boyerizo, OSPAAAL, The Mike Stanfield Collection

Much of Cuba’s iconic graphic design is instantly recognizable the world over. But alongside the familiar image of Che Guevara, Cuban artists have produced uncompromising design and illustration to deliver Cuba’s revolutionary message around the world. These works have rarely been seen – until now.

The House of Illustration will open the first major exhibition of graphic design from Cuba’s ‘golden age’, which will bring together work distributed across the globe by OSPAAAL: Fidel Castro’s Organisation of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America, an organisation founded to promote cooperation between socialist countries and liberation movements.

OSPAAAL’s designers used the tools of the capitalist advertising industry to create compelling graphics for entirely opposite purposes. Their work – revolutionary in both style and substance – stands as a prime example of art for political persuasion. While originally distributed freely in editions of thousands, OSPAAAL posters and magazines are now rare and highly sought-after.

The works in the exhibition, drawn from a single UK private collection - The Mike Stanfield Collection - offer a rare insight into this defining period in Cuba’s design history.

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• House of Illustration
• 2 Granary Square
• London N1C 4BH
• UK
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