Lippincott's for August 1897

Joseph J. Gould Jr. was among the leading figures of the American literary poster movement of the 1890s, a brief but influential design trend in which artists created striking posters to advertise literary magazines and books. Set at the beach, this poster shows a woman seated in the shade of a boardwalk, holding the latest issue of Lippincott’s magazine in her lap. Rendered in the bold contours and simplified forms associated with Gould and his circle, the central figure embodies the “New Woman”: educated, self-possessed, and stylishly modern. By depicting her at leisure with the magazine, the advertisement suggests that Lippincott’s was an essential companion to a modern, culturally engaged life.