Visit the Zoo, issued in 1936, makes its appeal through two monumental, stylised birds and a command reduced to its essentials. Their crisply outlined bodies rise against a cool blue field, while a vivid red beak and touches of orange punctuate the restrained palette. Below, the word “ZOO” is enlarged into a graphic anchor: broad grey letterforms edged in red and set against black, immediately legible even at a distance.

The credit “Federal Art Project, W. P. A. Pennsylvania” places the poster within one of the most distinctive episodes in American public art. Established during the Great Depression as part of the Works Progress Administration, the Federal Art Project employed artists to create murals, exhibitions, educational material and posters for civic institutions and public programmes. Here, the streamlined language of interwar advertising is directed towards an accessible leisure activity. A visit to the zoo is presented not through a detailed scene, but through modern typography, simplified animal forms and an emphatic call to action.

A closer look

The two birds dominate the vertical composition, their overlapping forms creating a compact, almost heraldic arrangement. One is seen chiefly in profile, its long red beak projecting sharply into the blue. Across the bodies, fine linear markings articulate feathers and contours without disturbing the poster’s bold silhouette. Grey, brown and white plumage is enlivened by small areas of warmer colour, allowing the birds to remain descriptive while also functioning as decorative shapes.

Behind them, pale and deeper blues move in broad, curving bands. These smooth forms suggest atmosphere and depth without specifying a habitat, keeping attention fixed on the animals themselves. The contrast between this flowing upper field and the dark rectangular area below is particularly effective: organic curves give way to firm horizontals, and illustration yields to typography.

The hierarchy of the lettering is carefully controlled. “VISIT THE” appears as an introduction, while “ZOO” carries the full visual weight of the message. Its oversized letters nearly become architecture, forming a solid base beneath the birds. A narrow maroon-red line above the word reinforces the division between subject and slogan, while repeating the warm accent of the beak. Even the smaller institutional credit at the bottom participates in the design’s descending scale, moving from spectacle to instruction to authorship.

Context and significance

Posters produced through the Federal Art Project often combined public information with the visual economy of contemporary commercial design. Art Deco geometry and modernist simplification were especially suited to streets, stations and civic buildings, where a message needed to register quickly among competing distractions. Visit the Zoo follows that logic closely: there is no crowded menagerie, no landscape and no narrative episode. Two animals are enough to establish curiosity, while the typography supplies the destination.

The individual artist is not identified here, yet the poster retains the collective character associated with WPA design: direct, practical and visually assured. Its appeal lies in the tension between observation and abstraction—the feather markings reward close attention, but the red, blue, grey and black shapes remain forceful from afar. What begins as a simple invitation becomes a concise example of how 1930s public graphic art could make education and recreation feel immediate, democratic and distinctly modern.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.