Compare & Contrast Essay

Compare and Contrast two Examples of Historical images.

Image 1

Image 02

The first image in question is an American advertisement from 1876 for a kitchen appliance under the name ‘The Uncle Sam Range’. The image is by Schumacher & Ettlinger of New York. The image that I am comparing it with is a poster produced by the Empire Marketing Board produced and displayed between 1930-1931. This poster portrays an image of Britain and their colonialism in East-Africa.

The first aspect of each image I will be comparing is the choice of font and styling. At first glance, image number 1 clearly has a very patriarchal styling with the primary use of the three colours strongly associated with the U.S flag; red, white and blue. This theme is used all over the image, through the people’s outfits, the floors and the furnishings. This gives the image an immediate sense of patriotism and cultural pride. There is a large title across the bottom of the image that reads ‘THE UNCLE SAM RANGE’, this text is written in a typeface associated with Western America. This typeface has been used to further strengthen patriotism as it reminds viewers of the importance of Western America during the 18^th century.

The styling of image 2 very much accommodates Africa and its image. Both images featured on the poster convey a typical African environment with warm colours and sparse landscapes. As well as imagery, the font used underneath both images is very much typical of African styling as it has a hand-rendered look about it. The overall styling of the poster is a lot more humble than Image 1 as it is a lot less assertive.

The next aspect I will compare is the purpose and meaning behind both images. Primarily, the purpose of Image 1 is to advertise and sell a domestic cooking appliance. However, it is clear that this is not the main intended message portrayed. The overwhelming sense of cultural pride throughout the image suggests that this advert has been used to boost patriotism and give the US citizens something to celebrate and be proud of.

  The contrasting, humble purpose of image 2 is intended for the East African population. It is meant to persuade them that the work the British are doing for them is majorly beneficial and that with their help the standard of living in East Africa will be majorly improved (in this case due to transport provided such as cars and boats). To be more specific about the target audience, the poster is definitely aimed more towards the affluent classes of Rhodesia etc as they have more resources to contribute and further boost the colonialism.

  The main historical reference to which image one conveys is the 100 year anniversary of the US gaining independence from the British empire. The small clock on the wall featured in the top left hand corner of the image displays two different years; 1776 and 1876. The advertisement also denotes the growing consumerism in the western world as more and more people find themselves with disposable income and can therefor afford to buy extravagant cookers.

 In contrast, the historical context of image 2 denotes British colonialism in the early 20^th century. This was when the British really took hold of the economy and infrastructure of East Africa and provided them with a higher standard of living.

  In conclusion, although sharing some similar qualities, the two images are very different in the methods used to convey a message as well as the actual message itself. Image 1 being very over-the-top and patriotic with the use of the colours and iconic symbols, whereas image 2 takes a slightly more humble approach of persuasion.