Aetna Dynamite — Edward Penfield, c. 1895

A workman raises a red warning flag as an explosion expands behind him in Edward Penfield’s bold advertisement for the Aetna Dynamite Company. Dark clothing, a muted background, cream smoke, and radiating orange-yellow forms create a compact composition in which the figure and the blast remain immediately legible.

Created around 1895, the poster places the words “Aetna Dynamite” directly across the illustration in large orange lettering. Penfield’s economical outlines, flat areas of color, and textured lithographic surfaces give the advertisement a distinctly graphic character. The original is a 46 × 33 cm color lithograph and forms part of the Library of Congress Artist Posters collection.

Artwork Details

• Artist: Edward Penfield
• Title: Aetna dynamite
• Original title: Aetna dynamite
• Series: Artist Posters
• Date: c. 1895
• Period: 1890s
• Place of Origin: United States
• Medium: Color lithograph, 46 × 33 cm

Framed Print Details

• Fine art printing: Professional 12-color fine art printing technology produces vivid, accurate colors with strong tonal depth and significantly greater nuance than standard 4-color inkjet printing.
• Paper: Smooth premium matte paper with a clean, glare-free finish.
• Paper weight: 200 gsm (80 lb).
• Paper thickness: 0.26 mm (10.3 mils).
• Frame material: Durable pine wood.
• Frame dimensions: Approximately 20 mm (0.79 in) deep and 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide.
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