"Motivational" workplace posters through the decades

We all know the classic versions of the famous "Hang in there, baby!" posters, but did you know workplace posters date back to the 20s?

The original "Hang in there, baby" was this version, created in 1971  by photographer Victor Baldwin featuring his Siamese cat, Sassy.

This motivational sign was designed to be displayed individually on workers’ desks on an easel in 1927 by the C. J. Howard Inc. printing company.

In the 1920s, the advertising firm Parker-Holladay invented Bill Jones, a fictional character who offered his advice to office workers via posters.

This iconic WWII poster was a creation of artist J. Howard Miller in 1943, produced for the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.



This vintage safety poster is estimated to have first appeared in the early 1950s.

This 1962 poster was created by the Sheldon-Claire Co. - intended to encourage teamwork through its own unique visual.

Sears workplace poster from the 1970s.

In the 80s, Mac Anderson created thousands of motivational posters that graced plenty of corporate walls featuring concepts like “Perseverance,” “Teamwork” and “Excellence”.



The successful Anderson said in a 1992 Chicago Tribute interview, “We’re really selling motivation. This is critical to business success in the 1990s." They may not be as popular in this decade as they were in previous ones, but as a sign of the times, they now make great memes.