Radio | 1937

Radio, 1937, by Lester Beall 

This striking poster features a minimalist yet bold composition dominated by geometric shapes and primary colours. A red hillside rises from the bottom of the design, supporting a simple black silhouette of a rural house with glowing white windows. Three sharp white arrows streak across the vivid blue sky, converging on the house, visually representing the transmission of radio waves. The word RADIO appears in bold black typography at the top, while Rural Electrification Administration is printed along the lower edge in strong, modern lettering.

Created in 1937, this poster was part of a broader campaign by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), a New Deal program established in 1935 to bring electricity to remote areas of the United States. At the time, millions of rural Americans lacked access to power, limiting their access to modern conveniences like electric lights and radio communication.

Lester Beall (1903–1969) was a pioneering American graphic designer known for introducing European modernist principles into American advertising and public service campaigns. Influenced by Constructivism and the Bauhaus, Beall’s work often featured bold colours, photomontage, and striking typography. His REA posters remain some of the most influential examples of early American modernist graphic design.