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Composite photographs

In the late 1920s photography, offset printing technology, and the New-Business style converged in composite photographs. Ever-larger images are assembled from parts of photographs and included in bright colours and standard typeface to form dynamic compositions. Pioneers such as Paul Schuitema produced their internationally acclaimed composite photographs according to these principles. Many German and Russian communists applied the technology, as did several Dutch communists, such as the photographer Cas Oorthuys and the painter J.J. Voskuil.

Many other designers simply welcomed composite photographs as a new technology devoid of underlying principles. They included graceful, handwritten letters in their compositions or combined photographs with art work. The composite sections gave their posters a modern look, suggesting that the organization publishing the poster was entirely up to date.

1. Paul Schuitema, Central Union 30.000, 1930

2. Walter, Clear the slums, 1931

3. Louis Frank, Workers your own periodical, 1931

4. Jan Rot, Big summerfestival, 1931

5. Cas Oorthuys, Sentenced to death, 1932

6. Cas Oorthuys, J.J. Voskuil, The Olympics under dictatorship, 1936

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