The following text and the pictures were kindly provided by Wendy Louw, curator of the exhibition. From November 24, 2006 to January 29, 2007, The City Archives of The Hague (NL) and Gielijn Escher proudly present 50 years of Dutch posters 50 years of passionate collecting 50 years collection Gielijn Escher in De Affiche Galerij (The Poster Gallery) in the tram tunnel under the heart of the city of The Hague, The Netherlands. In 1956, at the age of ten, Gielijn Escher started collecting posters, by simply tearing them of walls and billboards on the street. He soon realised that this wasn't the best way. Asking for posters at printshops, advertising agencies and billposters seemed a much better idea. At first this wasn't easy and he was turned down a lot. Things did improve along the way and Gielijn became very good at, what we nowadyas call 'networking'. He asked for posters, he started his own billposting service, he traded them and, if he had to, he bought them. Now, fifty years after he tore his first poster of a billboard, Gielijn Escher has a collection of postwar Dutch posters that, as far as we know, is unmatched. The collection has no preference for any specific subject - therefore has not one theme - but closely follows the careers of a broad range of artists/designers. Parallel to the 'free' arts, Dutch graphic design - including posterart - flourished in the 1950's and 60's. Dutch posters from that era, cultural as well as advertisements, still live up to the best designs made in other countries at the time. 50 years of collecting, that's something to celebrate. On occasion of this milestone De Affiche Galerij shows a topselection of 60 posters from the Gielijn Escher collection. Classics and known highlights aside there are also a lot of less known poster on display. Among others there are posters from: Hermanus Berserik, Jan Bons, Dick Bruna, Wim Crouwel, Eppo Doeve, Dick Elffers, Frans Mettes, Koen van Os and Otto Treumann. The City Archives of The Hague organise the exhibtions in De Affiche Galerij (The Poster Gallery) in the tram tunnel in The Hague, The Netherlands For more information you can turn to: Wendy Louw, w.louw@hga.denhaag.nl http://www.gemeentearcheif.denhaag.nl

Cornelius van Velsen - Joy

Dick Bruna - 't is weer pocket-weer

Eppo Doeve - Amst Rijnkanaal

Frans Mettes - Virginia Sketch

Friso Wiegersma - We spelen pantomime

Gerard Wernars - AP Originals

Hermanus Berserik - geef de post geen raadsels op

Jan Bons - De Nonnen

Koen van Os - Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen

Nicolaas Wijnberg - Cyrano de Bergerac

Nicolaas Wijnberg - Scapino

Opland - 4 jaar is genoeg

Otto Treumann - Voorjaarsbeurs Utrecht

Willy Ledel - Dorp aan de rivier

Wim Brusse - automatisch girosparen

Wim Crouwel - Beelden in het heden