Theatrical poster of the wedding from the play, Abie's Irish Rose
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 58.500 inches (148.59 cm) | Width: 40.000 inches (101.6 cm)
Creator(s)
- Fred Spurgin (Artist)
- Peter Ehrenthal (Compiler)
Biographical History
The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.
Archival History
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Large theatrical poster by Fred Spurgin for the hit Broadway play, Abie's Irish Rose, by Anne Nichols, which opened in 1922. It is about a young couple, an Irish American woman and a Jewish man, who marry despite the objections of their families. This poster is one of more than 900 items in the Katz Ehrenthal Collection of antisemitic visual materials.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Offset color lithograph poster on paper with an illustration of a young blonde bride in a flowing white gown kissing a young, black haired groom in a top hat and white tie tuxedo. Watching from the are 2 white haired older men wearing smiles, yarmulkes, and white tie tuxedos,the groom's father and rabbi. Watching with grins from the left are a short, bearded man with round spectacles, top hat, white gloves, and white tie tuxedo and a tall matronly woman in a patterned, yellow dress with a plumed headband, the bride's parents. The English caption is at the bottom. The artist's name, FRED K. SPURGEON, is printed in the bottom left corner. Behind the bridal couple is a large spray of green feathers. The background is red and the white border has a narrow, green center line. The poster is adhered to slightly larger linen backing.
Subjects
- Jews--United States--Ethnic relations--Pictorial works.
- Jews--Caricatures and cartoons.
- Stereotypes (Social psychology) in art.
- Jews in art.
- Jews--United States--Pictorial works.
- Jews in popular culture.
Genre
- Posters
- Object