Shake Hands with Fifty Thousand Readers. Read the Musansha Shimbun

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This poster was made for The Musansha Shimbun (“The Proletarian Newspaper”), a left-wing newspaper in Japan during the 1920s. Designed by Yanase Masamu. It shows a large red hand reaching forward, symbolizing strength, unity, and the power of workers. The background is filled with newspaper text, showing that the paper was focused on social and political issues. 

The colors red, black, and white create a strong and bold look. The big hand feels like it’s coming out of the page, calling people to take action and fight for change. The style was influenced by modern design from Europe and the Soviet Union at that time. 

 

by James Fraser
Source: archive.org
by James Fraser