Aetna dynamite 1895

This is an advertisement poster for Aetna dynamite by Edward Penfield. It was made using lithography, a printing technique that renders images in mass. Here, a worker plunges a red-hot poker into a pile of dynamite, causing a fiery explosion, carefully printed to communicate both the danger and utility of the material. Dynamite was a relatively new industrial product at the time, used in mining, construction, and demolition. The worker's clothing suggests a possible immigrant background, a signifier of the labor force involved in extracting and processing raw materials, a dangerous job often done by the working classes. The poster's design and printing quality speaks to the branding of progress and technological advancement, with the product’s name boldly emblazoned in red, but it also belies the human cost of such progress. Looking at this advertisement, it reminds us to consider the full story behind any object, including the labor, materials, and often-unequal social dynamics involved in its production.