as the Michelin Man. Bibendum, who first appeared in a 1896 poster by O’Galop, is one of the world’s oldest trademarks and still represents the company today. In the ad, the cigar-chomping character pedals merrily along hands-free on a bicycle, dispensing the tires that comprise his mid-section to all he passes. The flying tires appear to leap off the page, crossing the border of the image’s deep blue background and overlapping the advertising copy and leaving an indelible impression on the viewer.
In addition to gallery shows and special exhibitions, IPG’s award-winning website, www.internationalposter.com offers one of the largest, most comprehensive online collection of vintage advertising posters in the world. Originally launched in 1998, the site contains nearly 5000 images accessible through a powerful search engine.
Editor’s Note: • Background and additional digital color images available.
• Support for feature development on poster collecting available.
• Interviews with gallery owner Jim Lapides are encouraged.
