About Retro Park Posters
A retro-modern poster for all 400+ national parks
Retro Park Posters is an undertaking by one park ranger, Russ Cash, to design and draw a retro-inspired modern poster for each of the national park units in the United States (and a foreign park here and there).
In the 1930s, the United States and the world was undergoing one of the biggest economic downturns in history. In an effort to combat the economic situation, the federal government sponsored many work relief programs for skilled individuals. One of those programs was the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
As part of that program, several posters were commissioned to be drawn by artists. Some of the most iconic travel posters ever created came from these efforts.
Posters for Zion, Yellowstone, Olympic and other parks are some the most remembered, and are incredibly rare.
I had the chance to see some of these original, screen-printed posters at work one day and it inspired me to begin working to create retro inspired versions of national park travel posters with more color, and with a modern touch. I also wanted to design and create a poster for all of the other park units that never got one.
Each of these posters are designed and drawn by me, by hand, using Adobe Illustrator. Each poster is completed over a period of weeks. Often I'll start one, get stuck or disappointed with how it is turning out, only to pick it up again weeks later to finish it.
I hope that you find a poster design you like and are willing to purchase a print or two. The money helps me continue to buy art supplies, printing supplies, and fund my photography at www.russcashphotography.com
Thank you for visiting!
-Russ Cash