You Get Surprise out of LIFE
1954
Artist
Raymond Savignac
DIMENSIONS
46 x 59 in. (116.8 x 149.9 cm)
OBJECT NUMBER
PH.296
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Animals, Ape, Chimpanzee, Life, Literary, Magazines, Mammal, United States
CREDIT LINE
Poster House Permanent Collection
KEYWORDS
Animals, Ape, Chimpanzee, Life, Literary, Magazines, Mammal, United States

In 1954, Savignac, by then a celebrated poster designer (who had made his name in 1949 with a promotion for Monsavon Au Lait Soap featuing a quizzical cow), was commissioned by Young & Rubicam to produce 12 posters supplying good reasons to read LIFE magazine. The cheeky monkey reaching to cover the eyes of a bald man in a suit is characteristic of the visual gags (inspired by the films of Charlie Chaplin) in Savignac’s many simple, colorful poster designs; these often incorporate similar cartoon-like animals and/or humans. Such images reflected his belief that “the public is so bored with its daily routine that I think advertising should amuse them.”

For inquiries about image licensing, please contact collections@posterhouse.org.

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