BLAWG 3 ! Victorian Era Ads

The Victorian Era was often seen as a time of class and elegance. In my mind, for some reason, I had placed it, chronologically, somewhere inbetween the medieval times and the Renaissance. Actually, I sort of believed they were all the same thing, especially due to the fact that Victorian culture seemed very close to Renaissance culture. In reality, the Victorian Era was during the latter half of the Industrial Revolution, a time of great innovation and of cultural shifts that would last for centuries.

I found this advertisement for the B&O Railroad Company in my copy of "Lettering and Type - Creating Letters and Designing Typefaces" by Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. I was drawn to it initially because of the colours and the large circular globe. The design overall, in my opinion, is very interesting. I think there's an intriguing juxtaposition between the cherub - an element of Victorian style - and the odd, electric-looking type. The cherub and swallows circling the globe seem to represent the old and natural, whereas the rest of the imagery - telegraph wires and factories - seem to reflect on the booming industry of this period.

The purpose of this design was actually as a menu cover, although it clearly advertises the company. The clash of old and new, and maybe even some foreshadowing apropos to the future of technology as the world becomes a smaller and smaller place due to the growth of communication.