OUGD401- Context Of Practice: Compare and contrast two images TASK 3

The Uncle Sam Range 1876 New York, Schumacher & Ettlinger & Poster by Savile Lumley 1915

Schumacher & Ettlinger created the first image, which is “The Uncle Sam Range” 1876, its purpose is to advertise and therefore sell a new cooker through artistic methods. Advertisements often use and portray products to fulfill needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Need) This image in particular overall shows how an advertisement uses “esteem needs” from the upper section of Maslow’s diagram, this includes “achievement, status, responsibility and reputation” which are all elements of ideologies and messages put into this image. The second image (poster by Savile Lumley) also contains underlying messages; its purpose is to convince men to enroll (sign up) to go to war as a form of British propaganda.

The first image (Uncle Sam Range) portrays the ideologies of wealth/freedom/dominance through the codes and conventions (imagery); as an example the clock-face shows one hundred years after Independence Day in America and therefore contextualises the imagery portraying the idea of freedom which links to the Bald Eagle (also portrays freedom as a symbol in America). Wealth within this image is shown through many parts of the image which include the slave shown near the cooker, portraying that “Uncle Sam” is rich and can afford to have slaves, the large image of the globe also symbolises the idea of wealth and dominance over other countries because “Uncle Sam” being the adult male is providing the world with food from their list through his new cooker, the advertisement promotes these ideologies to the consumer that if they buy this cooker they will also become wealthy. To further represent America as dominant smaller/different parts of America are represented as children such as “south”, “west” and “new England” which is written on the children’s clothing, showing that they are naïve and Uncle Sam is more powerful. The fonts (large bold slab serif typefaces) used within this image also enhance the ideologies of America being powerful because they contain connotations of the original “wild west” which is used in films for example. The advertisement targets middle class males because it is promising them a better/higher and wealthier lifestyle through purchasing this particular cooker, the patriotic imagery appeals to this target audience too because it is connected to the ideologies of Thanks Giving which represents “being” American and the product overall offers promises for a better life.

The second image does also have a target audience of middle class males and represent national identity (patriotic). However this image is British and represents British values of pride. This poster is propaganda for the First World War and works similar to the American advertisement because it has an underlying motivation and message. This poster in particular uses emotional manipulation to create guilty feelings within the viewer. The word “YOU” and the eye contact from the father within the photograph create direct address with the viewer and therefore a personal relationship to create a response. By using the term “daddy” the poster creates guilty feelings from the male because it is manipulating the relationship between their children, such as the boy pictured here he is playing with toy soldiers and views this act of defending his country as heroic, therefore seeing his father as possibly heroic if he joined the army. This is finally enhanced by the use of the words “Great War” implying that the war will be won and be spoken about in history (making soldiers feel proud). The male/father within the image can be interpreted in two ways; either as a middle class male who hasn’t been to war and regrets not being able to tell his children, or asking the viewer in particular what they are going to do (join).

Both these images share one main attribute; that they are making the viewer feel patriotic and proud of their country and in doing so they must act in such a way which is connected to the hidden meanings of the artwork. They are also both aimed at middle class males and do not contain imagery suitable to women and therefore portray the patriarchal society during the years these images were created.