Image Analysis Exercise

The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertisement image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York.

This poster was used to advertise cookware and is aimed at wealthy, upper class people because Uncle Sam is considered as a popular figure and important, which links into luxury therefore working class people wouldn't be able to afford this.

It has very powerful figures such as Uncle Sam because everyone knew who he was and was used a vast amount in posters to promote the war and to get males to join and win the war. This itself would immediately draw attention to the audience as Uncle Sam is a heroic figure that helped them win the war which therefore means that if he is included in the poster, audiences know that they can rely on cookware if Uncle Sam is included on it. The way Uncle Sam is sat is very confident - almost arrogant which shows to the audience that 'if you get this cooker you can do eveything' It is a very patriotic all-American advertisement as it uses the red, blue and white all over the image and also the popular stars and strips seen on the the American Flag and the eagle. This, the framed declaration of independence and the clock that states 1676 and 1776 reinforces America's 100 years of independence makes it come across that they are smug and they feel more superior than other countries because they have to plastered it around everywhere to show what they have gained by themselves. 'The Uncle Sam Range' is in a cowboy/Texan style type which solidifies the American representation. It is typed in gold so it shows that this product is only the best and high quality so it would appeal to its rich audiences.

In the left-hand corner of the image, you can see a small black male. He is small as he is made to look insignificant and unrecognisable because it shows he doesn't matter. He is used on the to show that if you get this cooker, you can make anything without having to do everything - almost tying to say that you get a servant slave with the cooker because that's how little you need to put in towards with this cooker. This also reinforces the idea that the cooker range is aimed towards the upper class as they we wealthy enough to own slaves.

Uncle Sam is joined at a dinner party with England and the West which shows that America can feed the world with all its resources and how rich they are in food. He is showing off all their goods and being cocky about it. The person on the right (world) is looking at a menu that Uncle Sam has presented to him and it is making fun out of other world cuisines in ways that can be seen racial or offensive to the other countries. For example for Ireland, it says 'Potatoes. Fried Boiled Stewed Roasted Baked Mashed Raw.' It belittles other countries and makes them feel embarrassed about what they eat because America is showing off that they can have anything they want and have stereotyped other countries in what they think they can only eat/show the lack of food they have compared to America. Again, its saying that Uncle Sam (America) can feed the world. The way that the face is on Africa shows that they were desensitised to the fact that Africa was poor and did not have much food and it shows that even though Uncle Sam is making fun of the menu, Africa is still suffering and would take all they can from the menu or it could show that he is rubbing it in Africa's face that they have luxury food and Africa doesn't even have basic food.

December 1930

January 1931

Empire Marketing Board - 'East African Transport Old Style' and 'East African Transport New Style' by Adrian Allison, from the 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' series of posters. 

These two images as one is trying to say that colonialism has been a positive change as the bottom image is meant to look like they aren't working as hard as the top image to transport goods. These posters are aimed at the British Empire as it is trying to 'inspire' other people to do the same things in Africa because they think that it would benefit the natives.

The top image (Old Style) shows a line of women and their children transporting their goods. The image is negative as it shows that they are unhappy and almost like they are suffering, the artist may have wanted it to come across that females are weak and are stereotyping that females are not meant to do these types of jobs. The land looks very deserted and there doesn't seem to be any villages for miles other than the fields, this is also maybe why the women look so unhappy, they might have been walking for a while.

The second image (New Style) shows a more man made Africa. You can see that there is a bridge, boats, car and a path. This is a propaganda image because it is saying that since white men have taken over, they have made the natives' lives easier because they can transport easier with man made aspects. The whole image has been Westernised because they have gave the idea that men are the dominant gender, therefore there are only men in the image, they are wearing shorts as opposed to the top image of where the women are wearing pieces of material. There is also a dominant white male looking confident and in power. This shows that he may be the one that have made their lives 'easier' as his clothes represent his wealth. The image still like the first one shows that the natives are still the ones slaving away so really their lives hasn't got much easier.

Both images of the 'The Uncle Sam Range' and 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' are aimed a upper class wealthy white people (predominantly men). Both counties are saying that they are more prosperous than others (culturally superior) and they are celebrating the growth of their empires. They both are adverting something that they will think will benefit them and others around them. Both images use racism as they both include black people slaving away while the white people are made to look calm, serene and relaxed and they both show how white is the dominant race and are the ones in power. Both posters are hyper-reality in which they make life seem better with what they can offer and that black people are slaves whilst white people are all rich - making it seem natural and normal to know this. It also shows that men are the dominant gender as they seem to hold all the power by the lack of females in the posters.

However, 'The Uncle Sam Range' is about America is all about benefiting themselves and showing off what they have achieved. The poster is heavily American and it comes off that they are conceded and have a huge ego and are only wanting to promote their cooker and is selling it by saying this is what they need to become a true American or if your not American, this will make you American. It is very complacent.

The 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' is not specifically heavily about the British Empire but want to show that this is what they can do to show their power and how colonialism can 'benefit' others.