Rooted in the decorative arts movements of late 19th-century and early 20th-century Britain and continental Europe, and furthered by progress in printing technology, the graphic arts answered industry's call to communicate to the masses in an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace. Over the last hundred years, commercial graphic design has evolved into increasingly sophisticated strategies in brand identity, repetition, and conceptual advertising. The graphic arts have also emerged from the purely commercial sphere into both political and artistic realms, furthering the reach and uses of this unique art form. Heavily illustrated with archival images, illustrations, and photographs, and with an informative text by graphic arts expert Alain Weill, this book will be the perfect introduction to the societal, artistic, and political uses of graphic design over the last century.