Gilgo Beach

In the first of three surfing posters in today's series we see a promo for a contest at Gilgo Beach, Long Island.  Who knew they had big waves for competition there?  This is the same area that later became known for the gruesome serial murders of 11 women, mostly sex workers.

 

Manhattan Beach

I've always wondered why they named a beach in LA County "Manhattan."

Turns out the developer was a homesick New Yorker.

 

No text

Our third and final surfing poster has no text, making me think it was either cropped or used as a generic blank for multiple uses.  The suits and racing stripes are pure 1960s.

 

Poster Day

 

Our theme today is 20th Century posters, and we start with a promotional number 

for the Bears Hotel in Basel, Switzerland.  We are assured that they have the nicest

 beer hall in Basel, as well as a garden concert venue for the City Orchestra.  

 

Feel a man

Join the Royal Navy and feel a man!

OK, where do I sign?

 

DDR 1966

The weightlifting world championship was held in East Berlin in 1966,

and this was one of the promotional posters.

 

Prague, 1938

I like the way the men are  holding hands in this Czech poster from 1938.

Only a few months later, the Czechs were sold out by the Western Allies.

 

O, Canada

The brawn is under wraps in this Canadian poster, but it is there.

And they way the two men are positioned is interesting.

 

Spain 1924

This poster promotes a large art show and raffle for the benefit of the 1924 Spanish Olympic team.

 

Werkbund

The Deutsche Werkbund was an organization committed to the merger or art, industry and personal craftsman ship for the betterment of commerce and culture.  Their first exhibition was held at Cologne in 1914, but had to be cut short when war broke out that August.  Note the interesting spelling of the city's name in German.  I've only ever seen it spelled with a 'K' before this.

Soviet Water Polo

This Soviet sports poster features a handsome water polo player.

 

Brawny naval gunner

This World War II recruiting poster implies that joining the Navy would make you like 

the guy loading shells into the gun.  I'm sure, however, that more than few recruits

 were more interested in getting a man like that than they were in becoming one.

 

Scottish Golfing

I find the men in this Scottish golfing poster to be quite attractive.

 

1938 British Empire Games

Australia hosted the British Empire Games in 1938.

 

Poster man

The edition of Playgirl in which Lou Zivkovich appeared quickly became a collector's item.  Imagine that!  This photo looks like it was made in a Waikiki hotel room with a small balcony.

The creases in the image tell us it was one Playgirl's foldout posters.

 

Popup! - Sports Posters

Netherlands

Today I'm doing a quickie popup post of early 20th Century sports posters.

We start with a 1917 Dutch military event promoting strength and exercise.

 

Belgium

Antwerp's 1920 Olympics used this poster for promotion.

 

Sweden

Here we have a promotional poster for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

 

United Kingdom

I know they're fully clothed, but I like these ruggers.  Two interesting things about this poster: 

 it was made for the tram company, and it's by a woman artist, Laura Knight.

 

Czechoslovakia

I know that nowadays it's "Czechia" or "Czech Republic," but when this poster was made, it was still Czechoslovakia.  They apparently had a sports event to celebrate 20 years of independence, and I can't help but wonder if the object in his right hand is a grenade, perhaps an omen of coming war.