The Library obtained this collection, the largest of WPA posters in existence, during the 1940s. Though most of the posters were silk-screened, there are some lithographs and woodcuts. Those interested in art and design will enjoy the variety of images as well as the color and the unique design formats. Three special presentations supplement the collection. Also included is a calendar created in 1938 by the New York City Poster Division to show government officials the skilled work being done by the Federal Art Project staff.
Users can flip the pages of the calendar to view the artwork month by month.
The third special presentation presents collection highlights selected by Library staff to document the depth of the collection, the variety of styles and the content of the WPA posters. Many of the posters shown in the collection highlights have not been widely published. Each poster in the WPA collection has been copied onto slide film to facilitate photographic reproduction orders and to reduce handling of the posters themselves. About one-third of the slides were digitized in the early 1990s to create an analog videodisc which was used as a reference aid in the Prints and Photographs Division. These slides were first photographed onto an intermediate negative film and then digitized to approximately 1500 pixels in the long dimension.