Inside Largest Poster Museum in the World

July 21, 2016
1 min read

My most cherished discoveries happen in the places I have passed a million times, distracted with thoughts and with no intention of learning anything new. When they happen, and they do, every so often, I’m the happiest man. This is how I bumped into Philip Williams Posters down in Tribeca, unwarned and immediately stunned. Amid thousands of posters, large and small on war propaganda, civil rights, whiskey, and films I see immense historical significance, or as Mr. Williams puts it “art in a time capsule”. There’s material for years of design research on typography, illustration styles, color palettes, and printing. It’s also a crash course in communication design, for posters are the ultimate embodiment of clarity and brevity, a decisive piece of inspiration and social change. I stopped by for a short tour and chat with the founder.

IMG_9195
Posters are stored and shipped in tubes
IMG_7351
A poster for The National Theatre of the Deaf
IMG_7360
Posters from Germany, France, and Poland
IMG_9194
 Founder Philip Williams has been in poster business for 45 years
IMG_7345
 Archives of Life magazine
IMG_9151
All posters are mounted on canvas before they are ready for shipping
IMG_9128
IMG_9160
Some posters are restored at the studio

PHILIP WILLIAMS POSTERS
122 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007 (Map)
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am to 7 pm, Closed Sunday
Website + shop: postermuseum.com

Leave a Reply

Don't Miss

In Greenpoint, a New Record Shop Sets High Standards

Founded in 2008 by Mike Sniper, Captured Tracks is an independent record

A Warm Day in Brooklyn

Every season, I like to take a stroll down from North Brooklyn