Highlights Archives
Madison Poster and Propaganda Collection
From the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, Madison, Wisconsin, was a hub of dynamic social, political and cultural change. The onset of countercultural ideologies, the Vietnam War, gay liberation, and women's rights were among the issues that permeated the social landscape of the city as people formed groups, held meetings, distributed propaganda and organized demonstrations. The posters of the era, which J. Wesley Miller collected from kiosks and bulletin boards around Madison, reflected all of these events and changes, and are the subject of this month's featured gallery from Wisconsin Historical Images, the Society's online image database.
An Eccentric Collector
Born in 1941, J. Wesley Miller endured a rough childhood that led to an eccentric adulthood. Intelligent but unorthodox, Miller would often pit members of the press against each other, creating animosities and conflicts that he personally enjoyed. Despite his oddities, though, those who knew him spoke of his serious academic attitude, which was reflected in his professional status as an accredited art lawyer. Miller was reported dead in September 2005, however the exact date and cause of death are unknown.
About the Collection
Miller collected the approximately 290 posters, primarily from locations in the Madison area. They include everything from hand-drawn, black-and-white images to colorful prints, advertising a range of re-election campaigns, concerts, meetings and viewpoints. A 1971 poster, for example, promoting the Survival Revival Women's Conference features an American flag-patterned castle in flames with a parade of women marching away under the words, "The Women are Coming." Another features a retouched portrait of then-Vice President Spiro Agnew dressed as a hippie, complete with fringed shirt, beaded necklace and peace sign earrings, while others promote appearances by musicians REO Speedwagon and Frank Zappa. Miller described his collection best when he said, "The collection reflects the totality of student life and was being built as history unfolded."
View the Gallery
:: Posted April 27, 2009
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