See more objects with the tag light, graphic design, advertising, typography, light bulb, poster, philips.

Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

1928

  • Work on this object began.

2016

2017

2024

  • You found it!

Poster, Philips

This is a Poster. It was designed by Louis Christiaan Kalff and made for (as the client) Philips. It is dated ca. 1928. Its medium is lithograph on paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

When Louis C. Kalff was hired by Philips in 1925, the company was one of the largest producers of light bulbs in the world. Kalff worked first as the company's general Art Director. During this time Kalff produced numerous designs for Philips, but this poster is the most iconic. It features a car driving over a dark bridge a night. The piercing bright headlights of the automobile and the glowing orbs of light that punctuate the shore illuminate the scene. The stylized arcs and angles reflect a nuanced influence of Art Deco. The use of a narrative allows Kalff puts a clever spin on the traditional sachplakat (object poster). He dispenses with a slogan and instead punctuates the scene with a detailed rendering of the product, a Philips light bulb, and the brand's name in bold type at the bottom. The contrast of the blue and orange set the brand name apart.

This object was donated by George R. Kravis II. It is credited Gift of George R. Kravis II.

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Its dimensions are

H x W: 117.5 × 79.1 cm (46 1/4 × 31 1/8 in.) H x W (Mount): 123.5 × 84.8 cm (48 5/8 × 33 3/8 in.)

Cite this object as

Poster, Philips; Designed by Louis Christiaan Kalff (Dutch, 1897–1976); Client: Philips; lithograph on paper; H x W: 117.5 × 79.1 cm (46 1/4 × 31 1/8 in.) H x W (Mount): 123.5 × 84.8 cm (48 5/8 × 33 3/8 in.); Gift of George R. Kravis II; 2018-22-42

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/404536693/ |title=Poster, Philips |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=25 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>