Image Analysis

 The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher and Ettlinger, New York

Poster by Savile Lumley (1915)

‘The Uncle Sam Range’ by Schumacher and Ettlinger and the poster by Savile Lumley are both images that show a sense of nationalism; they persuade the audience to imagine a national greatness and to believe in their country.

However the Schumacher and Ettlinger advertisement has a much stronger patriotic feeling. The advertisement is selling “The Uncle Sam Range” of cookers, but instead of selling it by the quality of its function it is being sold through the lifestyle the advert is portraying. The advert uses colours that are very patriotic, reds and blues and the symbolism of America is very prominent in the carpet, curtains, clothes, the eagle and the Centennial Hall. This sense of nationality builds the collective feeling of the ‘Sprit of America’ to the audience and if they buy the product they are buying into greatest of the American lifestyle.

 Similarly the Lumley poster uses the sense of nationalism to get people to volunteer to go to war, it is a lot more subtle than the American advertisement but it is still there. The sense of royal loyalty, the duty to Queen and country is present in the Lumley poster. The toy soldiers the boy is playing with bare resemblance to the guards at Buckingham Palace and the red roses on the curtains and the pattern on the chair all have symbolism to the Royal family.

The Schumacher and Ettlinger advert has a sense of American superiority and the attitude that America has on the rest of the world. The clock in the image says 1776 and 1876, 1776 was when America gained its independence and this poster was designed in 1876, showing 100 years of independence. The list that the globe character is reading lists other countries and what foods they are have, for example under China it says bird’s nests and boiled grasshoppers and under Ireland it only says potatoes. In comparison the people in the picture seem to be eating a lavish feast, showing that America is superior to everyone else and they are feeding the rest of the world as they have everything.

The Lumley poster has a propaganda element to it; the image is depicting time after the war even though it was made in the middle of WW1. It seems to give off the idea that everything will be fine after the war, you will be fine if you go to war, you will be able to sit and tell your children the tales. It is also depicting that this war will be a ‘Great War’, that it will be historicised in children’s books, suggested by the little girl, signifying everyone will be heroes and it is the patriotic thing to do to go to war.

These images are both showing lifestyles that show people who are dedicated to their countries as well as having a sense of patriotism and pride and that should be the lifestyle people want and should be leading. The Schumacher and Ettlinger advertisement definitely has a stronger sense of superiority but that does fit with America’s very patriotic nature however both images portray a romanticised view of nationalism.