REA Light Print

Availability: In stock

A print of Light/Rural Electrification Administration, 1937, by Lester Beall.

In May 1935, President Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration managed by the Department of Agriculture. Its sole goal was to bring affordable electricity to rural areas in America. A year later, Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act, allowing the government to provide loans to fund large construction projects such as power plants and electricity in single-family homes. 

In 1937, Bill Phillips, one of the information officers for the Department of Agriculture, recognized that the REA needed a promotional campaign. He was introduced to Lester Beall through a mutual acquaintance in the advertising world. While it is not known why Phillips chose Beall to create the REA poster series, Beall’s independence from the large advertising agencies combined with his incredibly modern approach to design made him an attractive choice to become one of the first graphic artists hired by the federal government.

Measures 15.25 x 11 inches. Ships rolled.

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