The Roll Call, A Masque of the Red Cross

Description

The Roll Call was a play written by Percy MacKaye for the Red Cross to be presented in order to raise funds for Red Cross relief activities. Arnold Genthe, a famous photographer, donated the photograph used in this poster that advertised the performance. Graphically this stands out from the rest of the posters in the exhibition by virtue of its simplicity. Using mainly black and white Genthe has produced a stunning and arresting image. A woman clothed in classical drapery looks up and extends her arm in the direction of the Red Cross. An intense light from an oblique angle emphasizes the woman's face and extended arm. The angle of illumination is such that it appears that the light source is the Red Cross, the object of the benefit performance. The poster is also unique in the exhibition in that it uses a photograph as image for a poster rather than a painting or drawing. The only grounds on which this poster might be faulted is that the text and image used here are not as well integrated as that of the other posters included in the exhibition.