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OUGD401 Context of Practise Task 2 - Image Analysis Exercise



Compare and contrast the two images in relation to the following :-

a)      The choice and organisation of font and style of illustration

b)      The purpose and meaning of the image

c)       The target/potential audience of the image

d)      The social and historical contexts relevant to the production of the image

Source A - The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York




Source B - Poster by Savile Lumley (1915)





The purpose of Source A is to advertise an oven called ‘The Uncle Sam Range’. However, instead of focusing on the functions of the oven, it portrays the wealth of America, and how superior it is to the rest of the world. It does this by having ‘Uncle Sam’s Little Dinner Party’ written on the dining table which is hosting a meal for the whole world. By using the word ‘little’ it suggests that this is not a problem to create a meal for this size, as not only is the oven capable, but also because America is more than capable of such an extravagant feast.
Source B is a British propaganda poster from WW2, and like Source A, uses superiority of the country to persuade men to join the war effort. The poster was published is 1915, and the war didn’t finish until 1918, therefore suggesting that Britain have won the war. It suggests this in various aspects of the poster, including the children’s games – the young girl appears to have a storybook about the war, while the young boy has toy soldiers, therefore suggesting it is a popular topic and something to talk about. This shows how patriarchal Britain was at the time, and there are  also aspects of patriarchy in Source A as there is a clock on the wall with the dates ‘1776’ and ‘1886’ on, which represent that a hundred years have passed since Independence Day, when America became independent from Great Britain. This could suggest that America have achieved so much in such a small amount of time, as their country is still relatively new, and this new oven is another reason to celebrate.
 Source A is very celebratory of America, and although Source B is of Britain, only to a certain extent. It uses a negative social stigma to guilt trip middle class men into going to war. It focuses on the middle class, as the working class are already at war as they can’t afford not to, and they need more soldiers. It guilt trips the audience by showing a father and his children after the war has ended, and the daughter asks him ‘Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?’ As he did nothing, he looks away from her with a shameful expression as he contributed nothing to their prosperous life now. The ‘YOU’ is emphasised to question the person who is reading it, and make them think more about contributing to the war. It makes the audience want to make their family proud for the future, which is similar to Source A, as it also targets middle class people who aspire to have the wealthy lifestyle that is portrayed in the image. The wealth is suggested through the attire, well furnished dining room and the slave which is serving the food. It portrays Uncle Sam in the middle of the image, a patriarchal figure of America living a life of leisure, which is what people want.







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