Snapshots of the Past

The W.P.A. Federal Theatre Negro Unit [presents] Macbeth by William Shakespeare – Antique Poster Print

The W.P.A. Federal Theatre Negro Unit [presents] Macbeth by William Shakespeare, 1936 — vintage poster
The W.P.A. Federal Theatre Negro Unit [presents] Macbeth by William Shakespeare, 1936. Vintage poster from the WPA Posters collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This vintage poster of The W.P.A. Federal Theatre Negro Unit [presents] Macbeth by William Shakespeare brings a moment of history to your wall. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.

The W.P.A. Federal Theatre Negro Unit [presents] Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Few WPA theater posters advertise a production as well known as this 1936 Federal theater Project staging of *Macbeth* by its Negro Unit, presented in Harlem with an all-Black cast. Directed by a young Orson Welles, the production moved the play from medieval Scotland to a Haitian setting, drawing on drumming and voodoo imagery, and it became one of the Federal theater's most talked-about achievements. The silkscreen poster comes from the same New Deal program that employed artists, designers and actors during the Depression, and its flat, saturated color reflects the graphic style of the Works Progress Administration's poster division.

Created / published1936
Medium1 print on board (poster) : silkscreen color.
NotesWork Projects Administration Poster Collection (Library of Congress). Posters of the WPA / Christopher DeNoon. Los Angeles : Wheatley Press c1987 no. 107 Exhibit loan 4105-L. · Shakespeare William 1564-1616. Macbeth.Negro Theatre Project sponsor.
SubjectsMusic education--New York (State)--New York--1930-1940.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Work Projects Administration Poster Collection
Original scan1,006 × 1,536 px · prints to 3 × 5 in at 300 dpi
Reference847_The_WPA_Federal_Theatre_1936

More from the WPA Posters collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.