Port of Philadelphia WPA Vintage Poster

Produced by the Pennsylvania WPA Federal Art Project sometime between 1936 and 1941, this striking woodblock poster promoted the Port of Philadelphia — one of the busiest industrial harbors on the East Coast — through a moody, high-contrast composition of dockside cranes, freight cars, and factory smoke rendered entirely in deep blues. It's a strong example of the more industrial, design-forward end of the WPA poster program, closer to European modernist graphic art than the pastoral travel posters most people picture from the era.

Restored from the Library of Congress archival scan, preserving the original indigo and slate palette.

Rolled for safe shipping, this poster arrives ready for framing or mounting and evokes the quiet strength of port city architecture and waterfront atmosphere.

Product features

- Giclée printing for bright, fade-resistant color

- Three paper choices: Fine Art (textured), Semi-Gloss, Matte

- Multiple sizes and horizontal or vertical orientations

- Paper weights: Fine Art 285 g/m²; Semi-Gloss and Matte options vary by provider

- Shipped rolled for safe delivery; sourced from USA and Japan

Care instructions

- If the print does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.