Advertising Poster, "Have Fun with a Ford- Pay While you Play," circa 1925

In 1913, new car financing became possible with the start of sales finance companies. Car manufacturers realized the opportunity to broaden their market and sell cars to consumers using credit. Henry Ford resisted selling Model Ts on credit, which created opportunities for others. This 1925 poster advertised a finance company that made loans to Ford buyers.

In the late nineteenth century, printers developed a lithograph method that produced brightly colored posters. Manufacturers and other businesses quickly adopted the new poster style to advertise their products. The posters were glued to building walls, fences, and hung in store displays where they readily attracted the attention of passersby.

Companies hired printers who worked with artists to create art that would advertise the products. In the early years, the point of the artwork was to gain notice rather than illustrate the product. By the early twentieth century, the design began to reflect a direct connection to the merchandise advertised. Although most of the artists are unknown today, these posters reflect popular American taste from the 1870s through the 1920s.

This double sided poster from the mid-1920s advertises the R& L Time Payment Plan to buy a Ford Model T vehicle. Still a novel concept, the National Bond & Investment Company probably offered its time payment plan through independent Ford dealerships. The detailed artwork focuses on the product and helps tell a story about automobile driving.