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Maître Nicolas CONSTANTY

428 - Harry Chester (XX) - Free Enterprise Forever! 1977. Printed …
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Estimate €20 - €30
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Description
Harry Chester (XX) - Free Enterprise Forever! 1977. Printed in the USA 114.5x76cm. Original lithographed poster (silver background). Not backed. Condition A+, perfect state of conservation. Free Enterprise Forever! Scientific American in the 19th Century This poster promotes a book that reproduces a series of historical illustrations from the famous American scientific magazine Scientific American, founded in New York in 1845 and now one of the most influential scientific journals in the world. The poster presents a set of nine emblematic covers or engravings published in the XIXᵉ century in the magazine, a period during which it played a key role in disseminating technical and industrial innovations to the general public. The title "Free Enterprise Forever!" is not neutral. The expression "free enterprise" is a slogan widely used in the United States to defend capitalism and private initiative. In the 1970s, this theme became particularly visible again in American public debate, especially after the economic crises of the early part of the decade (inflation, the 1973 oil crisis, the industrial slowdown). Many cultural and educational institutions put the spotlight back on the history of inventions and entrepreneurship to illustrate the role of private initiative in technological progress. The poster designed by Harry Chester in 1977 is part of this approach. By bringing together engravings published in the XIXᵉ century in Scientific American, it evokes the era of the American Industrial Revolution, a period often presented as the golden age of technical ingenuity and entrepreneurship. Among the illustrations reproduced is Eadweard Muybridge's famous study of the movement of the horse, a scientific work that profoundly influenced the analysis of movement and indirectly contributed to the birth of cinema. Other images depict industrial ships, monumental metal structures or spectacular technical devices, all examples designed to illustrate the creativity of the engineers and inventors of the XIXᵉ century. The poster therefore functions as a visual retrospective of innovation: it uses historical documents to remind us that many technological advances emerged in a context of private initiative and industrial experimentation. In this sense, the slogan "Free Enterprise Forever!" establishes a direct link between the scientific history presented by Scientific American and the broader idea that technical progress is inseparable from the entrepreneurial spirit.
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About the sale Collection of an ink merchant, sale of posters n°17 and miscellaneous.
Auction location
Auction time 06/12/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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