Image Analysis Exercise.

The Uncle Same Range (1876) Advertising image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York.

Poster by Savile Lumley (1915)

     
         'The Uncle Sam Range' by Schumacher & Ettlinger is a very 'all american' approach at selling a cooking range. It shows 'Uncle Sam' (the personification of America) at a large dinner table with a globe, three children, which are the personifications of different states of America (used because children represent growth, optimism and hope for the future), an eagle and lots of flags (both patriotic). There is also a young lady serving food, a black servant and a very large cooker/range.
The globe is obviously meant to represent the rest of the world, however it is mainly showing Africa and the face has black African features. This is suggesting that Americans of that time believed the rest of the world was less civilised and educated. Africa was seen as a third world country that was still wild with tribes and second class people.
The globe is also holding a long list that stereotypes other nations and their national dishes- it suggests the rest of the world still eat odd food and are not as civilised as Americans, the food that they eat and what this range can cook.
It has not aged well and I can safely say no longer connected with my group- to the point that it took us a long time to realise it was even an advert. The product is lost amidst a haze of patriotism and symbolism and we were far to distracted by (what is now considered) the bad taste and racism within it.
However, I think it is an important fact that it was made at the same time America was celebrating it's 100th birthday, hence all the patriotism and the flags.The creators were clever and tapped into a very large market- they made it appeal to those celebrating Americas birthday and so tapped into the mood on the streets, so the whole of America.
       
          The poster by Savile Lumley is also patriotic, just in a more subtle way. This poster was made at the beginning of the Second World War and was obviously made to encourage young men to sign up as there was no conscription at the time.
It is projecting into a possible future and shows a man who obviously was not involved in the war; he looks uncomfortable and regretful as he can not answer his children's questions. It is obviously meant to worry young men that they will have no stories for their children and will be an embarrassment to their family.
The patriotic symbols are a little harder to notice in this poster but are used to great effect- the roses on the curtains are the english rose and the pattern on the armchair is the generic symbol of royalty. This gives the poster a feel of 'joining for Queen and Country', further emphasised by the red coats on the young boy's toy soldiers, which references the queens guards. This would appeal to a young man's love of his country and his need to feel involved in a event so important to the whole of the UK. No one wants to feel left out.
     
          I think the Lumley poster is aimed at a middle class audience. Upper-classes never go to war (you just have to look in any history book to confirm this!) and the working classes will more than likely have already signed up for the prospect of a job and a regular wage.
The setting of the image, with the nice furniture, a well dressed man, well dressed children and good toys also suggests a middle-class target audience- they are making an image that would be more familiar to the men with money.
On the other hand, I think that 'The Uncle Same Range' is aimed at a slightly poorer market. Adverts are made to be inspirational- people buy an 'ideal life' that comes with a product.
The use of a black servant in the corner of the image is an example of this- obviously this was made before slavery was abolished and owning a slave was a status symbol. Owning them showed you had money and were important. Schumacher & Ettlinger are suggesting to the viewer that buying this range would bring you the lifestyle associated with the ownership of a slave.

          The font on the Lumley poster is soft and looks as though it is meant to represent speech, or is handwritten. This makes it feel more personal and aimed directly to the reader and his life. It is appealing directly to a man's pride.
The font on 'The Uncle Sam Range' is reminiscent of the Wild West and saloon bars. Westerns are really important in American culture, they show a time that Americans 'civilised' their country and is what they consider the formation of the "american dream'. Again, this means the advert is appealing to those celebrating Americas birthday and everything it stands for.

        Overall both the poster and the advert are aimed at men. The conscription poster could not be more aimed at men if it tried, for very obvious reasons (only men could be soldiers then). In 'The Uncle Sam Range' a woman is serving 'Sam' placing women in a subservient role- so obviously they are not the target audience. It is appealing to a mans dream- he is in charge, at the centre of the action and being served by a beautiful woman.
They also both have links to the family and the family is used to manipulate men to either join up or to buy a cooker. 
However the most obvious contrast between the two pictures is that one is an advert trying to sell a product and the other a propaganda poster. The most obvious similarity is both are images that appeal to the viewers patriotism, manipulating it to their advantage- either selling a product or idea with it.