Reader Onawa read our story on the free downloadable NASA Jet Propulsion Lab posters and commented with this great tip: ‘The Library of Congress has a ton of WPA posters available for free download — if you’re willing to slog through their website. I found one I had been coveting and had it printed through a local photo lab once I resized it, and it looks great.” Well guess what? I found the magic link to avoid slogging, and here you go: Access to the complete library of 907 Works Progress Administration (WPA) posters produced from 1936 to 1943. Hours of free fun even just to look at!
Note, here are the Rights & Restrictions, and the way I read them, these are free to print; but read ’em yourself to make sure you agree.
The Work Projects Administration (WPA) Poster Collection consists of 907 posters produced from 1936 to 1943 by various branches of the WPA. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress’s collection of more than 900 is the largest. The posters were designed to publicize exhibits, community activities, theatrical productions, and health and educational programs in seventeen states and the District of Columbia, with the strongest representation from California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The results of one of the first U.S. Government programs to support the arts, the posters were added to the Library’s holdings in the 1940s.
This background on the collection is interesting to read, too!
Thanks, Onawa, for this great tip!
Poster-mania link love:
- Collection homepage
- The 907 posters start here
- Also in our archives: 8 Charley Harper posters – straight from U.S. Government original stockpiles – cheap, free shipping, no tax!
- Huge stash of NOS 1960s and 1970s flower power posters on ebay
- 14 retro space travel posters from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory – download free!
- And: 9 creative and affordable ideas to hang a poster
You can also order prints from the Library of Congress, it looks like its about $30.
Ah, thanks for that tip!
Thanks!!
Oooo, thanks for this! I followed the link to the Charlie Harper posters and snapped one up, along with some WW2 painting reproductions on clearance. Can’t wait ’til they get here!
Looking at the GPO site for the Charley Harper posters, they now have a “reviews and more about this product” at the bottom of each page, and it says: “Charley Harper poster collection review by Pam Kueber can be found here”…(with link to you). Fun!
Oh my! I gotta go see that! Thanks for letting me know!
I have some vintage metal kitchen cabinets and one of the doors fell off because the L bracket and pin broke. Does anyone know where I can get replacement parts? Call me, text me, or email me please. 231-629-7322 billiejeanpatton@gmail.com
Hi Billie, on this issue we don’t have easy answers.
The link to the repository appears to be broken… Can you update it please?