I spotted this gorgeous poster at the Brooklyn historical society in Brooklyn heights. I did some research and... After a collaboration with their New York counterparts was postponed, Brooklyn women, representing various relief societies, took it upon themselves to erect their own fair. Housed at the original Brooklyn Academy of Music premises on Montague Street, the Brooklyn and Long Island Sanitary Fair ran from February 22 to March 8, 1864, and raised over $400,000, the highest sum of any Sanitary Fair in the country up to that time. Founded after the outbreak of the Civil War, the United States Sanitary Commission was setup to supply food, potable water, clean clothing, bandages, hospital equipment, bedding, writing supplies, and postage to soldiers in the Union Army. The Sanitary Commission stated in 1861 that “four soldiers die of diseases incident to camp life for one that falls in battle… Sanitary measures, prudently devised and thoroughly executed, will do more to economize the lives of our soldiers, and thus save the nation men, money, and time, than could be effected by any improvement in the arms put into their hands.” At this time almost 3,000 nurses worked in makeshift Union hospitals. Head nurse Dorothea Dix, stated that her nurses needed to be “past 30 years of age, healthy, plain almost to repulsion in dress and devoid of personal attractions.” Sanitary Fairs were Organized via a network of women’s charitable societies, and raised over $25 million for sick and wounded Union soldiers. Credit: http://blog.bam.org/ #newyorkhistory #brooklynhistoricalsociety #brooklyndesign #woodtype #19thcenturyart #19thcenturyfashion #posterdesign #poster #goldink #letterpress #letterpressprinting #shadowtype #nycityworld #typeverything #typeface #typevstime #coolcaps #1864 #civilwar #posterdesigns #goldlettering #brooklyndesigner #calltoaction #nyc #nyctype #signos #signage #poster #goldandred (at Brooklyn Historical Society) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsAkaQxhUKM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wqg807ibjkok
