Archive for May, 2008

THE IMAGES OF BASEBALL

I love baseball! Whether it’s a clear, crisp night game or a blazing hot middle-of-the-day extra-inning contest, I love the dirt, sweat, and sometimes brawls that make baseball so much fun.

Baseball has been around since the 1700s here in the US. History has it that its early years were wild and raw, with a hodgepodge of rules (or no rules at all) and amateur and professional leagues that were here today and gone the next. It used to be that a player was allowed to throw the ball at the runner. If he hit him, the runner was out (ow!). Check out these great vintage baseball posters that capture the color and nostalgia of the down-to-earth fun and flavor of old-time baseball.

In the 1800s, some semblance of order finally found its way into the sport, and a few popular professional baseball teams began to form: “The Cincinnati Red Stockings” (which lasted only two years) and the “Boston Red Stockings” and later “The Boston Base Ball Club.” The Boston Red Sox are still among the most popular teams in baseball. Of all the hundreds of baseball posters you can find at posters.com, Red Sox images are at the top of the list, along with the New York Yankees.



Baseball is one of my favorite professional sports, and I still get a thrill from browsing through pictures of baseball’s legendsTy Cobb (The Georgia Peach) sliding into third or Jack (Jackie) Robinson stealing home or Babe Ruth (The Sultan of Swat) hitting it out of the park for the umpteenth time. And don’t forget the likes of Willie Mays, Cal Ripkin, and your own 21st Century baseball hero.



On posters.com you can also take a tour of the legendary stadiums, packed with people, peanuts, pennants and hope that never died until that very last strike was hurled across the plate. Imagine the history that’s happened in Boston’s Fenway Park, where the Babe pitched, “The Friendly Confines” of Chicago’s Wrigley Field, and beloved Yankee Stadium in New York.




So whether your favorite place is at the plate, on the mound, or in the bleachers, visit posters.com and take a journey through more than two centuries of the images of baseball. You’ll discover great baseball photos and prints that capture a little drama, some nostalgia, and lots of baseball memories that you’ll want to make your own.

POSTERS FOR PATRIOTS

It’s pretty much assumed that anyone who loves America is a patriot. But I think there is no greater patriot than the man or woman who puts his/her life on the line to defend the freedoms and faiths of this great nation. Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day remind us of those who have gone to battle over the centuries and those who are fighting today. But gratitude and honor for our defenders ought to fill our hearts not just on holidays, but all year long. Displaying military posters and prints provides a way to do just that.

Posters preserve unforgettable military images from yesterday and long ago.

Vintage military posters remind us of a time when our country was united against a common enemy, and everyone found a way to be part of the war effort.

The fierce courage and dedication of our soldiers continue to inspire us and make us proud.

The National Archives and TIME and LIFE magazine covers have captured memorable wartime photos on and off the battlefield.

Military posters and wall prints make great gifts for the patriot in your family or in your office. At the same time, these dramatic and moving images will help you proudly display your support for our troops, honor their memories and achievements, and remind others of the great sacrifices that have been made by so many brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. I salute you.

POSTERS AND POLITICS

Politics have been around a long time, and so have posters. Back in the days of Shakespeare, they were mostly used to advertise plays and dramas. The first political posters came on the scene around the time of World War I, and by World War II they had become a very popular medium for political statements and campaign slogans.

Ironically, this year’s election posters look very much like those from the past — only the names are different. This vintage Teddy Roosevelt poster would fit right in with the 2008 campaign posters for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain.






Posters play a part in keeping history alive—visually, at least—and some of them are extremely collectible. In his captivating print “The Presidents,” Carl Braude has painted the image of every President from George Washington to George Bush. Canvases of this painting sell for hundreds of dollars, but you can get a great quality digital print from posters.com for a lot less. And you can add a custom mat and frame and have it shipped right to your door.


This presidential election year is a great time to take a nostalgic look at individual pictures and portraits of our nation’s Presidents, preserved on film and canvas by skilled photographers and painters. Through the years, the covers of TIME magazine and others have also provided us with moving and dramatic images that remind us of memorable moments and unforgettable people.







So if you’re in the mood for some posters for your politics or some politics on your posters, remember: It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican or Independent or if your thing is satire or sarcasm, politics or propaganda, nostalgia or humor. Just go to posters.com and use their fast and easy search engine to find ELECTIONS or PRESIDENTS or POLITICS. Then take a trip down memory lane and, when you’ve found your favorite political poster, mat it, frame it, and order it. It’s fast, affordable and very satisfying to own and display an image of history in your home, office or dorm.