June 2016

[DekeThornton]

Got this WWII Mexican propaganda poster:

[DekeThornton]

Also got this propaganda poster showing caricatures of the presidents of Mexico since Porfirio Díaz through 1940.  The presidents are arranged like the Apostles in the Last Supper.  Note that it includes Pedro Lascuráin, the shortest serving president in the history of the world with a term of 45 minutes.

[Mirosae]

The WWII No estamos  solos is rather powerful. I assume you are displaying it at home. Looks fantastic

[DekeThornton]

The WWII No estamos  solos is rather powerful. I assume you are displaying it at home. Looks fantastic

Thanks! I like the bold colors, and it's fun seeing some of the obsolete flags.  I do plan to hang it on the wall, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[DekeThornton]

I really like how this travel poster is reminiscent of a paper cutting.

[Crazy Vick]

I really like how this travel poster is reminiscent of a paper cutting.

Nice one!  I've also got my eye a few travel posters right now.  Is one from the 70s?

[DekeThornton]

Nice one!  I've also got my eye a few travel posters right now.  Is one from the 70s?

It's from the 50s, I believe.

[DekeThornton]

Your question got me curious about the date.  I had always seen this poster referred to as being from the 50s, but I started to wonder if I could definitively date it.

The poster is has a clear signature; it is by Fred Ludenken.  However, I couldn't find anything about the artist except in relation to this poster.

Then it hit me, the logo!  Sure enough, the logo on the poster was used by American Airlines from 1945 to 1962, so we can at least definitively narrow it to that period.

FWIW I saw one page specifically state a date of 1955 for the poster, but they didn't mention how they arrived at that date.

[erik1925]

Hey Deke,

I looked around a little bit, after zooming in on the sig on your poster, and found the artist's last name is actually Ludekens. He did quite a body of work, from Saturday Evening Post covers, to WWII ads and car ads for magazines, book cover art, and travel posters. And it looks like he signed many if not most of his works, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ludekens

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/06/fred-ludekens-close-up.html

A quick look on ebay found these various works and designs:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=ludekens&_osacat=3252&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xfred+ludekens.TRS1&_nkw=fred+ludekens&_sacat=0

Others he did for American Airlines:

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/advertising-poster-original-1950-american-airli-2279-c-27d494db43

http://www.internationalposter.com/poster-details.aspx?id=USL06215

And on Art.com, a selection of his reproduced works:

http://www.art.com/gallery/id--a273208/fred-ludekens-posters.htm

[DekeThornton]

Hey Deke,

I looked around a little bit, after zooming in on the sig on your poster, and found the artist's last name is actually Ludekens. He did quite a body of work, from Saturday Evening Post covers, to WWII ads and car ads for magazines, book cover art, and travel posters. And it looks like he signed many if not most of his works, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ludekens

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/06/fred-ludekens-close-up.html

A quick look on ebay found these various works and designs:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=ludekens&_osacat=3252&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xfred+ludekens.TRS1&_nkw=fred+ludekens&_sacat=0

Others he did for American Airlines:

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/advertising-poster-original-1950-american-airli-2279-c-27d494db43

http://www.internationalposter.com/poster-details.aspx?id=USL06215

And on Art.com, a selection of his reproduced works:

http://www.art.com/gallery/id--a273208/fred-ludekens-posters.htm

Thanks for that great info, Jeff, and for the correction on the name. Maybe I need to get my eyes checked 

[erik1925]

Any time, Deke. As Ive mentioned a few times here on the forum -- it's the searching and "sherlocking" that makes this hobby so much fun.