Harper’s round table – Thanksgiving number ’95 1895

Will Bradley designed this poster, Harper’s Round Table – Thanksgiving number ’95 in the 1890s. The stylized, medievalist imagery connects with late 19th century trends but also raises questions about cultural identity and historical narratives. Consider the context of this piece. As American society rapidly industrialized, there was nostalgia for a romanticized, pre-industrial past, particularly the medieval era. Bradley draws from Arthurian legends, yet in a highly graphic, modern style. The poster creates an imaginative space, but one which speaks to anxieties about modernity. The knight on horseback, the heraldic symbols, and the imagined royal audience are all part of a constructed identity. Bradley was deeply influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. His posters often promoted reading and imagination as a means of escaping the present. By reimagining history, Bradley invites us to think about the stories we tell ourselves, and how they shape our understanding of who we are.