See more objects with the tag communication, graphic design, advertising, exhibition, brightly colored, geometric, typography, bricks, promotional poster, exhibition poster, overlap.

See more objects with the color bisque chocolate saddlebrown black sienna or see all the colors for this object.

Object Timeline

1929

  • Work on this object began.

2001

2015

2025

  • You found it!

Poster, Internationale Economisch-Historische Tentoonstelling (Exhibition of International Economic History)

This is a Poster. It was designed by Hendrikus Theodorus Wijdeveld. It is dated 1929 and we acquired it in 2001. Its medium is block print, letterpress on cream wove paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

Dutch architect and graphic designer Hendrikus Wijdeveld was an important force in the creation of Dutch modernist design. As an architect, he was a member of the expressionist movement that opposed the De Stijl group. As a graphic designer, he founded and edited the innovative Dutch periodical Wendingen (published between 1918 and 1931), for which he designed most of the covers and layouts. Cooper-Hewitt’s library holds many issues of Wendingen. Wijdeveld’s characteristic bold, decorative, block-like typeforms and ornamental borders, which became known as the “Wendingen style,” influenced Dutch graphic design well into the 1940s.
Wijdeveld also designed posters, some of which have become icons in graphic design history. This 1929 poster, Internationale Economisch Historische Tentoonstelling, is one of his most striking designs. Richly colored in orange, gold and black on cream paper, its ornamental character recalls the decorative style of the Vienna Secession and strongly contrasts with the spare compositions and primary colors associated with the De Stijl movement.
This poster is a strong addition to the museum’s Dutch modernist graphic design holdings and would also complement the museum’s collection of Dutch modernist decorative arts objects. At the time of proposed acquisition, the museum’s Dutch graphic design holdings include: a 1930 calendar by Wijdeveld; R.N. Roland Holst’s 1920 poster, Labor Boards, the stepped architectural frame and block-like decorative ornament of which are typical of the Amsterdam School and preface the designs of Wijdeveld; several examples by Wijdeveld’s contemporary, the De Stijl artist Bart van der Leck; and later 20th-century works by the firm Hard Werken. In light of the influential contribution of Dutch designers to 20th-century graphic design history, the curators feel the museum should strengthen the collection with key examples from the 1920s and 1930s. This acquisition addresses this need.
June 14, 2001

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled For the Love of Letterpress.

It is credited Museum purchase through gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt and Jacob H. Schiff and through bequest of Mrs. John Innes Kane .

  • Poster, Tanzstudio Wulff
  • letterpress on white wove paper.
  • Museum purchase through gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt.
  • 2004-1-1
  •

Our curators have highlighted 5 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

  • Magazine, Cover, Frontside
  • lithograph print on paper.
  • Smithsonian Libraries, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Library, N5 .W469 folio.
  • 43.2016.10

Its dimensions are

64.6 x 50.4 cm (25 3/8 x 19 3/4 in. )

It is inscribed

Printed throughout page, INTERNATIONALE/ECONOMICSCH-HISTORISCHE/TENTOONSTELLING/4 JULI/15 SEPT./1929/SCHILDERNIJEN/MINIATUREN/GOBELINS/DOCUMENTEN/MODELLEN/GRAFIEK ENZ/STEDELIJK MUSEUM/AMSTERDAM [INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMIC-HISTORICAL/EXHIBITION/JULY 4 TO SEPT. 15, 1929/PICTURES/MINIATURES/TAPESTRIES/DOCUMENTS/MODELS/GRAPHICS/STEDELIJK MUSEUM/AMSTERDAM.

Cite this object as

Poster, Internationale Economisch-Historische Tentoonstelling (Exhibition of International Economic History); Designed by Hendrikus Theodorus Wijdeveld (Dutch, 1885–1987); Netherlands; block print, letterpress on cream wove paper; 64.6 x 50.4 cm (25 3/8 x 19 3/4 in. ); Museum purchase through gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt and Jacob H. Schiff and through bequest of Mrs. John Innes Kane ; 2001-7-1

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

For higher resolution or commercial use contact ArtResource.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18691053/ |title=Poster, Internationale Economisch-Historische Tentoonstelling (Exhibition of International Economic History) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=11 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>