The electronic advertising age has nothing on the caricaturists of the late 19th century, especially Leonetto Cappiello. He’s the one who set a definitive window of opportunity for the would-be captains of the ad industry ” promoters, he said, have seven to 10 seconds in which to capture the target’s mind and eye. To that effect, he produced more than 800 vintage posters for cigarette companies, liqueur manufacturers and celebrities and politicians who wanted their images captured for publicity and posterity.
George Parker, of Parkers’ Posters, thinks Cappiello’s theory predates today’s commercial ad.
The Pacific Beach resident is even hosting an exhibit that in a way reflects that sentiment. It runs through Saturday, Jan. 27, at his Bay Park shop, which he helms with his wife Arlene ” and it’s a testament to an industry in which Cappiello, whose efforts peaked just before World War I, was one of several voices.
“There is no artist of stature,” Parker said, “who did not do posters during his or her career. Earlier in their career, they did it because they needed to make a living. Later in their career, they were asked by people to donate their time. Basically, from my perspective, they’re behind the whole idea of modern advertising. Maybe the 30-second spot on television is a little longer than [Cappiello’s window], but that’s certainly what today’s advertisers are doing.”
Parker added that the art of postering came into its own for two reasons ” one based in popular sentiment and the other steeped in individual taste.
“Part of it has to do with the nostalgic aspect of posters,” Parker said. “We basically did not start collecting posters because of that, but the pieces that we acquired after that had to do with where we’d been or things that we’d done. They bring back obviously good memories, or people wouldn’t put them in their houses.
“Another thing about posters is that they were designed to catch the eye. The good ones do that in any number of ways ” mostly with color but also with some sort of catchy idea within them that gives you pause. You have to take a second look to see what was behind the artist’s idea.”
Parker said that posters enjoy big markets in Chicago, Houston and up and down the East Coast, where people collect them and decorate with them. Depending on their condition and the artist’s name, vintage material can sell for as high as $10,000.
Both the San Diego Museum of Art and Aerospace Museum have large poster collections in their private storage areas, according to Parker. As a rule, he added, San Diego is not a major commercial destination among collectors.
“We’ve had a gallery in San Diego for three years,” Parker said. “Before that, there was no place here to buy them. And we’re not talking about posters that [depict] rock concerts from the ’60s. We’re talking about pieces of artwork that date back to the 1800s and early 1900s.”
Before the use of automobiles became widespread, bicycles were a popular method of transportation and recreation, dating from the 1890s to just before World War I. They’re thus a major feature in poster-based advertisements, which include athletes, would-be suitors and unaccompanied ladies.
“Occasionally, posters show men and women riding together, which was a definite societal no-no of the age,” Parker said.
Maybe that bit of trivia accounts for the poster’s place in Americana. Cultural history, after all, isn’t cultural history without its points of reference ” points that posters illustrated long before the electronic age refined them.
Parkers’ Posters Gallery is located at 4010 Morena Blvd. Hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are encouraged. For information call (858) 270-0274 or visit www.parkerposters.com.