Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-11-05
HOW POSTERS
HELPED TO
WIN THE WAR
Lecture at the
WOman's Club by Prof.
Zug of Dartmouth

That the American war posters ex.
ecuted by American artists headed
by Charles Dana Gibson were sick
ish, hippant and far below those OF
other allied countries in effective
ness, is the opinion Of rrofesso!
George Breed Zug, director of Fine
Arts of Dartmouth College. Profess
sor Zug lectured before the St.
Johnsbuly Woman's Club in Pythian
Hall Monday evening to one of the
largest crowds which the club has en-
tcrtained in several months.
Professor Zug based his contention
, on Il comparison of our posters with
those of the English and French. He
also judged them from fine arts
standpoint. TO prove his declaration
he cast nearly Il hundred views on
the screen reproducing some of the
most famous posters of the war and
studying them with his audience.
He declared that the essentials of
a successful poster should be bold
ness of idea, simplicity of execution,
brilliantly contrasted colors and
brevity of text. He showed that the
English ran to simple silhouettes of
ruggedness and power, the French
to art and restraint, while the Amer
ican artists ran mostly to pretty
girls, pointed fingers (foremrly en-
ployed in the advertisements of Il
popular soft drink) and sugar-coated
sensationalism.
The title of Professor Zug's lee
ture was "Fighting the Kaiser with
Brush and Pencil" He paid glowing
tribute to the financial sacrifice, pa
triotism and hard work of the Am
erican artists and illustrators, not
alone in the poster field, but also in
camouAage painting, cartooning and
window card work. He also referred
briefly to the work of the sculptors
and architects.
, The most practical part of his talk
was the advice which he gave in
selecting memorials to commemorate
those who participated in the late
war. He denounced the commercial
manufacturers of memorials as pro-
ducers OF cheap and undignified tab
lets and monuments whose greatest
aim was to make sales. He referred
our local committee, when the mat
ter comes up for action, to the Mum,
icipal Art League of New York City
for advice and help. He said that we
should erect no memorial for four or
five years until sufficient time clap
sed for us to know what we want
and advised US at that time to call in
landscape architect to assist in
securing the most favorable location.
This applies to whatever form our
memorial takes, whether tablet, mon,
ument, or Community House. He
suggested that we acquire a memoir
ial regardless of how small the co It
that will be thing of art and beau
ty to all future generations.
Professor Zug was introduced by
Miss Katherine Bingham, chairman
Of the Art committee of the Woman's
Club, who presented the speaker of
the evening with a few wcll-choscn
words.
In the business session before the
lecture, Mrs. Robert French called,
for reports from Mrs. Alvin W. Flint,
the secretary and Mrs. S. A. Moore,
the treasurer. The treasurer report
cd S72.34 in the treasury. The names
of five new members recently acted
favorably upon by the Executive
Board were read. They were: Mrs.
Leroy Long, Mrs. James Campbell,
Mrs. Roy Davis, Mrs. Bailey Fol-
lensby and Mrs. A. H. Hafner.
The president appointed Mrs.
George F. Cheney and Mrs. A. f.
Stone to draft resolutions on the
death of Mrs. Hazen, a former pres-
ident.
Between the business session and
Miss Bingham's introduction two
selections were rendered on the piano
by Mrs. T. J. Tierney in a pleasing
manner.
An announcement of interest was
made by Mrs. F. 3. Richards calling
attention to the forthcoming address
by Mrs. limerick, former mission
airy from Turkey, who will speak at
the Armory Nov. 13.
The president, Mrs. French, was
elected representative of the Wom-
ans club to the Community Council
A letter Of appreciation was read
by Mrs. Eldredge from Mrs. A. E. F.
May, thanking the club for its cour-
tesy, having made her an honorary
member.
Letters were read by the treasurer
from Miss Moody, treasurer of the
State Normal school scholarship
fund, and from Mrs. Mary Clifford,
treasurer of the State Federation
thanking the club for promptncss in
paying assessments. The club was
the first to pay its per capita tax
to the state association and one of
the first to send check to the Nor