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Elections

Election posters are a longstanding tradition. They have been produced since general suffrage was introduced to disseminate points of view and especially to embed party names and ranks in public awareness. At first the need was obvious: party ranks were assigned at random and did not appear on the ballots. Long after this changed, however, posters remained widespread. They no longer look as interesting, and their importance has been superseded by propaganda broadcast on television and published in newspapers. Colour, typeface, and occasionally logos are used to visualize party politics on posters. Despite appeals to abandon this practice, no party wants to be the first.

Elections are often opportunities for small and one-man parties to introduce themselves with posters. Sometimes the parties are not serious contenders or do not even have candidates standing for election. All the same, their success can astound experts. In 1967 Koekoek's Boerenpartij [farmers' party] obtained seven seats, despite a completely amateur campaign. And in the 1981 elections, the most widely disseminated poster advertised the Tegenpartij [Rival Party], a joke from the television comedians Van Kooten and De Bie.

1. Designer unknown, Only the first square of list 1 …, 1919

2. Jo Franken, List 2 the best choice!, 1948

3. Designer unknown, Protestant Christian 4 Roosjen, ca. 1953

4. Designer unknown, Koekoek Farmers Party, 1967

5. Designer unknown, For peace, 1967

6. Designer unknown, Vote nr. 1 List 20, 1967

7. Designer unknown, At last. Free Sex Party, 1970

8. Designer unknown, D'66 list 6, 1971

9. Designer unknown, VVD 3, 1971

10. Designer unknown, CPN 5, 1977

11. Designer unknown, Strong Netherlands in a strong Europe, 1977

12. Designer unknown, No shit, everybody rich, 1981

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