Not your Typical War Posters

There stood a shop selling old propaganda posters. It is well-hidden among the street occupied by an endless number of galleries selling replicas of Monet. Despite being ‘copies’ too, these posters held more historical significance than your typical ‘conical hats’ and ‘Red-coloured trees’ oil paintings.

During Vietnam War, few families had radios, thus posters became the primary channel for receiving war news. If an American plane had crashed, a poster would spread the word like wildfire to villages the following day. They inspired patriotism and determination to fight foreign invaders.

Due to the lack of resources and printing technology, most posters back then were copied from originals. Later, when monotone offset printing was introduced, painters were still required to add colors manually.

Years ago, these under-rated posters may be selling cheaply or even unwanted at galleries. Now, collectors are offering hundreds for originals. 

Posters you see at Ho Chi Minh are modern copies made from recycled paper. The colors are more vibrant and translation of the poster into English is attached.  Each piece (size of an A4 paper) cost USD $8. They make fantastic souvenirs, much better than the conical hats we see everywhere!