America between 1885 and 1905 was in the heat of a poster craze. The country's finest artists and illustrators were commissioned to design advertising posters whose popularity soon overshadowed the products they were meant to promote.Designed to Sell presents vintage posters by 45 artists, including Maxfield Parrish, Blanche McManus, and Maurice Prendergast. Essays describe innovations in printing, compare American and European posters, and explain the emergence of a new profession -- graphic design. Biographical notes on the artists include eight women. Special technical notes outline historic printing methods and explain how an artist's drawing becomes a poster.