New York City is home to many, many museums, and Patrick and I visited a handful, including Poster House. Founded in 2015, Poster House didn’t open its doors until 2019, and today is home to an incredible collection of printed posters both large and small. During our visit they had three really unique exhibits, along with a handful of items that I assume are on permanent display, including a Jules Cheret, which Patrick loved.

The largest of the three exhibits was Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace, which showcases the rise and fall of how the world viewed the arms race and atomic power. After the United States used the atomic bomb to end World War II, the world looked into harnessing the power of the atom, but attempted to do so with a much more positive image, and the “Atoms for Peace” movement was born. Various counties attempted to give atomic power a better reputation. General Dynamics did so using abstract images by Erik Nitsche.

But even has scientific progress was made, the threat of nuclear war still loomed, and cities developed Civil Defense programs. The iconic “duck and cover” film reels flicked in classrooms, and advertisements for bomb shelters made the rounds.

The Cuban Missile Crisis proved to be a pivotal moment for both the disarmament movement, as well as those who wanted to ramp up arms. And while atomic energy had been embraced by many, by the 1970s, the cracks in atomic energy began to show, and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster showed the potential horrible outcomes. Protests sprang up in favor of disarmament and ending nuclear power plants.

Another fantastic exhibit was Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar. Homar was a talented artist that used a variety of techniques, from printing to calligraphy, and was even a costume and set designer. Political movements and the unique culture of Porto Rico influenced his design work and showcase a range of styles.

The third exhibit was a shocking throwback for Patrick and I, Copy/Paste/Print/Repeat: Mike King & the Art of the Gig Poster. King fell into the gig poster making scene when he arrived at a shop to promote his own band, where he helped a guy attempting to make a poster. King’s job at a copy shop allowed him to get creative with the collage technique we now associate with punk bands and the copy machine style of posters. The majority of the posters are from the Pacific Northwest, and for Patrick and myself it was a bit of a walk down memory lane as we saw many venues we used to go to.

Learn about the art of the poster at Poster House at 119 W. 23rd Street in New York City. Fallout and Homar are on display until September 7, 2025, and King’s creations can bee seen through November 2, 2025. You can learn more on their website.