Half after one, the ’97 Olio College hall
1897
Elisha Brown Bird designed this striking 1897 poster to advertise a college variety show, known as an 'Olio,' scheduled for half past one. A melancholic Pierrot clown, dressed in a voluminous black costume with a ruffled white collar, sits engrossed in a book against a dramatic red curtain backdrop. The bold, gothic-inspired typography and high-contrast color palette are classic hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style, capturing the theatrical flair of late 19th-century campus life. It serves as a vibrant time capsule, showing how students used dramatic, eye-catching graphics to promote their entertainment over a century ago.
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