Jules Chéret with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be used for many purposes. They are a frequent tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films), propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate a message. Posters are also used for reproductions of artwork, particularly famous works, and are generally low-cost compared to original artwork.

Poster history[link]

"Moulin Rouge - La Goulue"
Toulouse-Lautrec, 1891

Introduction[link]

According to French historian Max Gallo, "for over two hundred years, posters have been displayed in public places all over the world. Visually striking, they have been designed to attract the attention of passers-by, making us aware of a political viewpoint, enticing us to attend specific events, or encouraging us to purchase a particular product or service."^[1] The modern poster, as we know it, however, dates back to 1870 when the printing industry perfected colour lithography and made mass production possible.

"In little more than a hundred years," writes poster expert John Barnicoat, "it has come to be recognized as a vital art form, attracting artists at every level, from painters like Toulouse-Lautrec and Mucha to theatrical and commercial designers."^[2] They have ranged in styles from Art Nouveau, Symbolism, Cubism, and Art Deco to the more formal Bauhaus and the often incoherent hippie posters of the 1960s.

Mass production[link]

Posters, in the form of placards and posted bills, have been used since earliest times, primarily for advertising and announcements. Purely textual posters have a long history: they advertised the plays of Shakespeare and made citizens aware of government proclamations for centuries. However, the great revolution in posters was the development of printing techniques that allowed for cheap mass production and printing, including notably the technique lithography which was invented in 1796 by the German Alois Senefelder. The invention of lithography was soon followed by chromolithography, which allowed for mass editions of posters illustrated in vibrant colours to be printed.

Developing art form[link]

By the 1890s, the technique had spread throughout Europe. A number of noted artists created poster art in this period, foremost amongst them Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret. Chéret is considered to be the "father" of advertisement placards. He was a pencil artist and a scene decorator, who founded a small lithography office in Paris in 1866. He used striking characters, contrast and bright colours, and created over 1000 advertisements, primarily for exhibitions, theatres, and products. The industry soon attracted the service of many aspiring painters who needed a source of revenue to support themselves.

Chéret developed a new lithographic technique that suited better the needs of advertisers: he added a lot more colour which, in conjunction with innovative typography, rendered the poster much more expressive. Not surprisingly, Chéret is said to have introduced sex in advertising or, at least, to have exploited the feminine image as an advertising ploy. In contrast with those previously painted by Toulouse-Lautrec, Chéret's laughing and provocative feminine figures meant a new conception of art as being of service to advertising.

Posters soon transformed the thoroughfares of Paris into the "art galleries of the street." Their commercial success was such that some of the artists were in great demand and theatre stars personally selected their own favorite artist to do the poster for an upcoming performance. The popularity of poster art was such that in 1884 a major exhibition was held in Paris.

Commercial uses[link]

Lithograph poster for Ranch 10, a Western-themed play by Harry Meredith which opened in New York City in August 1882

By the 1890s, poster art had widespread usage in other parts of Europe, advertising everything from bicycles to bullfights. By the end of the 19th century, during an era known as the Belle Époque, the standing of the poster as a serious artform was raised even further. Between 1895 and 1900, Jules Chéret created the Maîtres de l'Affiche (Masters of the Poster) series that became not only a commercial success, but is now seen as an important historical publication. Alphonse Mucha and Eugène Grasset were also influential poster designers of this generation, known for their Art Nouveau style and stylized figures, particularly of women. Advertisement posters became a special type of graphic art in the modern age. Poster artists such as Théophile Steinlen, Albert Guillaume, Leonetto Cappiello, Henri Thiriet and others became important figures of their day, their art form transferred to magazines for advertising as well as for social and political commentary.

In the United States, posters did not evolve to the same artistic level. American posters were primarily directed towards basic commercial needs to deliver a written message. However, the advent of the travelling circus brought colourful posters to tell citizens that a carnival was coming to town. But these too were very commercially utilitarian, of average quality, and few saw any real artistic creativity.

Many posters have had great artistic merit and have become extremely collectible. These include the posters advertising World's Fairs and Colonial Exhibitions.

Political uses[link]

Other times of great turmoil also produced great posters. The 1960s w the rise of pop art and protest movements throughout the West; both made great use of posters. Perhaps the most acclaimed posters were those produced by French students during the so-called "événements" of May 1968. During the 1968 Paris student riots and for years to come, Jim Fitzpatrick's stylized poster of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (based on the photo Guerrillero Heroico), also became a common youthful symbol of rebellion.^[3]

Poster printing[link]

Many printing techniques are used to produce posters. While most posters are mass-produced, posters may also be printed by hand or in limited editions. Most posters are printed on one side and left blank on the back, the better for affixing to a wall or other surface. Pin-up sized posters are usually printed on A3 Standard Silk paper in full colour. Upon purchase, most commercially available posters are often rolled up into a cylindrical tube to allow for damage-free transportation. Rolled-up posters can then be flattened under pressure for several hours to regain their original form.

It is possible to use poster creation software to print large posters on standard home or office printers.

Types of posters[link]

Many posters, particularly early posters, were used for advertising products. Posters continue to be used for this purpose, with posters advertising films, music (both concerts and recorded albums), comic books, and travel destinations being particularly notable examples.

Propaganda and political posters[link]

German propaganda poster, 1921

During the First and Second World Wars, recruiting posters became extremely common, and many of them have persisted in the national consciousness, such as the "Lord Kitchener Wants You" posters from the United Kingdom, the "Uncle Sam wants you" posters from the United States, or the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" posters^[4] that warned of foreign spies. Also in Canada, they were widespread.^[5]

Posters during wartime were also used for propaganda purposes, persuasion, and motivation, such as the famous Rosie the Riveter posters which exhorted women workers during World War II that "We can do it!". The Soviet Union also produced a plethora of propaganda posters,^[6] some of which became iconic representations of the Great Patriotic War. During the democratic revolutions of 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe the poster was very important weapon in the hand of the opposition. Brave printed and hand-made political posters appeared on the Berlin Wall, on the statue of St. Wenseslas in Prague and around the unmarked grave of Imre Nagy in Budapest and the role of them was indispensable for the democratic change. An example of an influential political poster is Shepard Fairey's Barack Obama "HOPE" poster.

Movie posters[link]

The film industry quickly discovered that vibrantly coloured posters were an easy way to sell their pictures. Today, posters are produced for most major films, and the collecting of movie posters has become a major hobby. The record price for a poster was set on November 15, 2005 when US$690,000 was paid for a poster of Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis from the Reel Poster Gallery in London.^[7] Other early horror and science fiction posters are known to bring tremendous prices as well, with an example from The Mummy realizing $452,000 in a 1997 Sotheby's auction,^[7] and posters from both The Black Cat and Bride of Frankenstein selling for $334,600 in various Heritage Auctions.^[8] The 1931 Frankenstein 6-sheet poster, of which only 1 copy is known to exist, is considered to be the most valuable film poster in the world.^{[citation needed]}.

Travel posters[link]

Poster advertising or proposing a travel destination, or simply artistically articulating a place have been made. An example is the Beach Town Posters series, a collection of Art Deco travel posters of American beach resorts that refer to the advertising style of the 1920s and 1930s. A site dedicated to modern Travel Posters is SevenDays-in:^[9] photographers of the world are selected to sell on line their photos.

Railway posters[link]

In the early days of steam railways in Britain, the various rail companies advertised their routes and services on simple printed sheets. By the 1850s, with increasing competition and improvements in printing technology, pictorial designs were being incorporated in their advertising posters. The use of graphic artists began to influence the design of the pictorial poster. In 1905, the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) commissioned Norman Wilkinson to produce artwork for a new landscape poster, advertising their rail/steam packet link to Ireland. In 1908, for the Great Northern Railway (GNR), John Hassall produced the famous image of the "Jolly Fisherman" with the "Skegness is so Bracing" slogan. The development of this commercial art form throughout the first half of the 20th century reflected the changes in British society, along with the changing styles of art, architecture and fashion as well as changing patterns of holidaymaking.^[10]

Event posters[link]

Event poster, 2005

Posters advertising events have become common. Any sort of public event, from a rally to a play, may be advertised with posters; a few types of events have become notable for their poster advertisements.

Boxing posters[link]

Boxing Posters were used in and around the actual venue to advertise the forthcoming fight, date, ticket prices, and usually consisted of pictures of each boxer. Boxing Posters vary in size and vibrancy, but are not usually smaller than 18x22 inches. In the early days few boxing posters survived the actual event and thus they are indeed very collectible and scarce.

Concert posters[link]

Many concerts, particularly rock concerts, have custom-designed posters that are used for advertisement of the event. These often become collectors items as well.

Band/music posters[link]

Posters that showcase a person's favorite artist or music group are popular in teenagers' bedrooms, as well as in college dorm rooms and apartments. Many posters have pictures of popular rock bands and artists.

Blacklight poster[link]

Blacklight posters are designed to have a special effect under a blacklight (ultraviolet light).

Pin-up posters[link]

Pinup posters , "pinups," or cheesecake posters are pictures of attractive women designed to be displayed, first coming to popularity in the 1920s. The popularity of sexy pin-up girl posters has been erratic in recent decades. Pin-ups such as Betty Grable and Jane Russell were highly popular with soldiers during World War II but much less so during the Vietnam War. The late 1970s and into the beginning of the 1980s were boom years for large posters of television actresses, especially Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Tiegs.

Affirmation posters[link]

An example of an affirmation poster

This refers to decorative posters that are meant to be motivational and inspirational. One popular series has a black background, a scene from nature, and a word such as "Leadership" or "Opportunity." Another version (usually framed and matted) uses a two-image hologram which changes as the viewer walks past.

Fanposter[link]

The goal of creating a Fanposter is to show all or a large portion of devoted fans on one poster which will be presented and can be seen in a place where many other fans or members have access (hallway of a club house, fanzine, fan webpage, public place).

Publications[link]

Book posters[link]

Book text on poster is a type of poster design where the entire text of a book (usually a novel) is printed in legible form. This unique and modern design style is commonly characterized by a wall of text with a depiction of an important element of the book by use of negative space, which in this case is also known as white space.

Comic book posters[link]

The resurgence of comic book popularity in the 1960s led to the mass production of comic book posters in the 1970s and onward. These posters typically feature popular characters in a variety of action poses. The fact that comic books are a niche market means that a given poster usually has a smaller printing run than other genres of poster. Therefore, older posters may be quite sought after by collectors. Promotional posters are usually distributed folded, whereas retail posters intended for home decoration are rolled.

Educational posters[link]

A poster session at the EPFL

Research posters and "poster sessions"[link]

Posters are used in academia to promote and explain research work. They are typically shown during conferences, either as a complement to a talk or scientific paper, or as a publication. They are of lesser importance than actual articles, but they can be a good introduction to a new piece of research before the paper is published. Poster presentations are often not peer-reviewed, but can instead be submitted, meaning that as many as can fit will be accepted.

Classroom posters[link]

Posters are a standard feature of classrooms worldwide. A typical school in North America will display a variety, including: advertising tie-ins (eg. an historical movie relevant to a current topic of study); alphabet and grammar; numeracy and scientific tables; safety and other instructions; artwork and displays by the students(shashwat).

Vintage poster restoration/conservation[link]

Poster restoration and conservation. The backing of posters with fabric dates back to 19th century France, where posters were occasionally glued to linen for reinforcement. This provided some protection, but with the passage of time the paper continued to become brittle and was frequently torn by stress. Modern backing techniques have eliminated this problem by using an acid free paper between the poster and the fabric. The adhesive used is wheat paste treated to inhibit mold growth.

Why fabric-back a poster? The principal reason is to provide support for the paper. It also enables the conservator to flatten the folds and to more easily make repairs. Fabric backing also eliminates the waviness that can occur when the poster is framed.

Reversibility is a concept that is important in all conservation work, because today's curators and collectors are only temporary custodians of a cultural object (the poster) that will have continuing and timeless interest for future collectors. We strive to make certain that materials and techniques that are applied to the poster are not harmful over time and are reversible to bring it back to the state in which we found it.

Restoration can dramatically improve the appearance of a poster. Damage caused by clear adhesive tape, residual stains, water marks and dirt can be easily repaired; combining this with the replacement of lost paper can bring the poster back to virtually its original state.

Historic poster artists[link]

Contemporary poster artists[link]

Gallery[link]

• Cheret-Vin-Mariani-.jpg

  Vin Mariani, Jules Cheret's 1894 poster for the digestif and tonic wine fortified by coca

• 

  Official poster for the Exposition Universelle of 1905 in Liège

• 

  A digital poster illustrating twelve different species of flowers

• 

  A World War II propaganda poster with the text "Let's catch him with his Panzers down!"

• 

  Jack the Ripper wanted poster issued by the police in 1888

• 

  Belle of Nelson poster advertising their sour mash whiskey, shows a Turkish harem of nude white women, and a black man with water pipe in foreground.

• 

  Lord Kitchener poster, for British army recruiting during World War I (1914)

• 

  One of the many poster aping Kitchener: Smokey Bear poster for forest fire prevention in America (1985)

Gallery see also[link]

• A 1990 Hungarian political poster by Fidesz (Alliance of Young Democrats): Choose!
• The Tennis Girl poster was an iconic image from the late 1970s'
• Death to the Brutes, an anti-war anarchist poster printed in France during the Second World War.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Posters

• Books on poster
• Graphic design
• Illustrations
• Mediascape
• Pin-up (disambiguation)
• Poster session
• Street Poster Art
• Swann Galleries

Footnotes[link]

1. ^ Gallo, Max, The Poster in History, (2002) W.W. Norton
2. ^ Barnicoat, John, Posters: A Concise History, (1985) Thames and Hudson
3. ^ Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon, by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 19
4. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
5. ^ 'Canadian War Poster Collection'
6. ^ Propaganda posters - Collection of 1400+ POSTERS from Russia, Czech republic, Poland and Cuba.
7. ^ ^{a b} "Lang film poster fetches record". BBC News. 2005-11-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4438948.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-11. 
8. ^ Search results for:
9. ^ sevendays-in.com
10. ^ Railway posters - Our collection - National Railway Museum

Further reading[link]

• Gosling, Peter. (1999). Scientist's Guide to Poster Presentations. New York: Kluwer. ISBN 978-0-306-46076-0.
• King, Emily. (2003). A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House. Barron's. ISBN 978-0-7641-5599-4.
• Noble, Ian. (2002). Up Against the Wall: International Poster Design. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision. ISBN 978-2-88046-561-2.
• Timmers, Margaret. (2003). Power of the Poster. Victoria and Albert Museum. ISBN 978-0-8109-6615-4.
• Le Coultre, Martijn F. & Purvis, Alston W, (2002)A Century of Posters, Lund Humphries ISBN 978-0-85331-863-7
• Rennert, Jack, (1990), Posters of the Belle Epoque, Wine Spectator Press, ISBN 978-0-9664202-1-0
• Wrede, Stuart, (1988), The Modern Poster, Little Brown and Company, ISBN 978-0-87070-570-0
• Gold, Laura (1988), Posters, Please ISBN 978-0-9664202-0-3
• Cole, Beverley and Durack, Richard (1992), Railway Posters 1923–1947, Laurence King, ISBN 978-1-85669-014-0

External links[link]

Look up poster in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (January 2011)

General

• Poster Archive of the MAK-Austrian Museum of applied arts / contemporary art
• Posters, American Style (exhibition and educational site from the Smithsonian American Art Museum)
• Vintage Hungarian and international posters
• Rene Wanner's Poster Page
• The International Poster Collection (exhibition galleries from the Colorado State Libraries and the Department of Art)
• Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) Over 100,000 images available free for use in education, including thousands of posters from the UK's Imperial War Museum and the Design Council collections.
• Electronic museum of russian posters Collection of Advertising, Political, Military, Social posters from 1880 to current time
• Poster Frames Retail Poster Frames & Light Boxes that Display Classic Movie Posters
• "Exposition Posters: Dreaming of the Future". Prints & Books. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/prints_books/object_stories/posters/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-27. 
• Jean Michel Folon (1934 - 2005) posters website
• "Poster Design". Prints & Books. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/prints_books/features/posters_resource/index.html. Retrieved 2011-03-15. 
• Swiss Posters Collection

Political

• 1800 military posters from 20 countries of WW1, WW2, Civil wars in Russia and Spain and many others
• Les Purs Canayens: Canadian Posters of the First World War - Canadian War Museum
• Powers of Persuasion: Poster Art from World War II
• The Chairman Smiles: Posters from the former Soviet Union, Cuba and China
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections - War Posters A selection of World War I and II posters; topics include propaganda on purchasing war bonds, the importance of national security and posters from allied and axis powers.
• WWI and WWII Poster Collection hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries' Digital Collections. Search and browse through almost 500 posters.
• Design as Social Agent at the ICA: The Obama Effect by Kerry Skemp
• Hoover Institution Archives Poster Database contains over 30,000 posters from 80 countries

Academic

• Creating Effective Poster Presentations (for research posters)
• Effective Poster Design: A Step by Step Guide from the University of Guelph

Railway

• Seaside Railway Posters

Other

• Collection of Puerto Rican art posters
• Far and Wide: The Golden Age of Travel Posters (from the Los Angeles Public Library)
• Polish Film Posters Database
• Polish Poster at Polish Poster Gallery
• The European Library Portal giving access to thousand of digitised posters.

Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming, US, in October 1998. He was attacked on the night of October 6–7, and died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12 from severe head injuries.

During a pre-trial hearing, a Laramie police officer testified that the violence against Shepard was due to how the attacker "[felt] about gays," per an interview of the attacker's girlfriend who said she received that explanation.^[1] Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to the contention of hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels.^[2]

In 2009, his mother Judy Shepard authored a book The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed. On October 22, 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (Matthew Shepard Act for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.^[3]

Background[link]

Shepard was born in Casper, Wyoming, the first of two sons born to Judy Peck and Dennis Shepard. His younger brother Logan was born in 1981. He attended Crest Hill Elementary School, Dean Morgan Junior High School, and Natrona County High School for his freshman through junior years. Saudi Aramco hired his father in the summer of 1994, and his parents subsequently resided at the Saudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran. During that time, Shepard attended The American School In Switzerland (TASIS),^[4] from which he graduated in May 1995. Shepard then attended Catawba College in North Carolina and Casper College in Wyoming, before settling in Denver, Colorado. Shepard became a first-year political science major at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and was chosen as the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.^[2]

He was described by his father as "an optimistic and accepting young man who had a special gift of relating to almost everyone. He was the type of person who was very approachable and always looked to new challenges. Matthew had a great passion for equality and always stood up for the acceptance of people's differences."^[5]

In February 1995, during a high school trip to Morocco, Shepard was beaten and raped, causing him to experience depression and panic attacks, according to his mother. One of Shepard's friends feared that his depression had driven him to become involved with drugs during his time in college.^[6]

Murder[link]

Shortly after midnight on October 6, 1998, Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson for the first time at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming.^[7] It was decided that McKinney and Henderson would give Shepard a ride home.^[8] McKinney and Henderson subsequently drove the car to a remote, rural area and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Shepard, tying him to a fence and leaving him to die. According to their court testimony, McKinney and Henderson also discovered his address and intended to steal from his home. Still tied to the fence, Shepard, who was still alive but in a coma, was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow.^[9]

Shepard had suffered fractures to the back of his head and in front of his right ear. He experienced severe brainstem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature, and other vital functions. There also were about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face, and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. While he lay in intensive care, candlelight vigils were held by the people of Laramie.^[10]

Shepard was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998, at Poudre Valley Hospital, in Fort Collins, Colorado.^{[11][12][13][14]} He was 21 years old.

Funeral protests[link]

Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, took his church's "God Hates Fags" message to the funeral of Matthew Shepard, held in Casper, Wyoming, on Saturday, October 17, 1998. Two of his picket signs read: "No Tears for Queers" and "Fag Matt in Hell."^[15]

Arrests and trial[link]

Police arrested Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson shortly after the attack, finding the bloody gun and Shepard's shoes and wallet in their truck.^[16]

Henderson and McKinney later tried to persuade their girlfriends to provide alibis for them.^[17]

At trial, McKinney offered various rationales to justify his actions. He originally pleaded the gay panic defense, arguing that he and Henderson were driven to temporary insanity by alleged sexual advances by Shepard. At another point, McKinney's lawyer stated that they had wanted to rob Shepard but never intended to kill him.^[16]

The prosecutor in the case alleged that McKinney and Henderson pretended to be gay in order to gain Shepard's trust.^[18] During the trial, Kristen Price, girlfriend of McKinney, testified that Henderson and McKinney had "pretended they were gay to get [Shepard] in the truck and rob him".^[19][20] McKinney and Henderson went to the Fireside Lounge and selected Shepard after he arrived. McKinney alleged that Shepard asked them for a ride home.^[19]

After befriending him, they took him to a remote area outside of Laramie where they robbed him, assaulted him severely, and tied him to a fence with a rope from McKinney's truck while Shepard pleaded for his life. Media reports often contained the graphic account of the pistol whipping and his fractured skull. It was reported that Shepard was beaten so brutally that his face was completely covered in blood, except where it had been partially washed clean by his tears.^[21][22] Both girlfriends also testified that neither McKinney nor Henderson were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.^[23][24]

Henderson pleaded guilty on April 5, 1999 and agreed to testify against McKinney to avoid the death penalty; he received two consecutive life sentences. The jury in McKinney's trial found him guilty of felony murder. As they began to deliberate on the death penalty, Shepard's parents brokered a deal, resulting in McKinney receiving two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.^[25]

Henderson and McKinney were incarcerated in the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, later being transferred to other prisons because of overcrowding.^[26]

Hate crime legislation[link]

Henderson and McKinney were not charged with a hate crime, because no Wyoming criminal statute provided for such a charge.^[27] The nature of Shepard's murder led to requests for new legislation addressing hate crime, urged particularly by those who believed that Shepard was targeted on the basis of his sexual orientation.^[28][29] Under then United States federal law^[30] and Wyoming state law,^[31] crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation were not prosecutable as hate crimes.

In the following session of the Wyoming Legislature, a bill was introduced defining certain attacks motivated by victim identity as hate crimes, however the measure failed on a 30-30 tie in the Wyoming House of Representatives.^[32]

At the federal level, then-President Bill Clinton renewed attempts to extend federal hate crime legislation to include homosexual individuals, women, and people with disabilities. These efforts were rejected by the United States House of Representatives in 1999.^[33] In September 2000, both houses of Congress passed such legislation; however it was stripped out in conference committee.^[34]

On March 20, 2007, the Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1592) was introduced as federal bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress, sponsored by Democrat John Conyers with 171 co-sponsors. Shepard's parents were present at the introduction ceremony. The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 3, 2007. Similar legislation passed in the Senate on September 27, 2007^[35] (S. 1105), however then-President George W. Bush indicated he would veto the legislation if it reached his desk.^[36] The amendment was dropped by the Democratic leadership because of opposition from conservative groups and President George Bush, and due to the measure being attached to a defense bill there was a lack of support from antiwar Democrats.^[37]

On December 10, 2007, congressional powers attached bipartisan hate crimes legislation to a Department of Defense Authorization bill, though failed to get it passed. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, said she "is still committed to getting the Matthew Shepard Act passed." Pelosi planned to get the bill passed in early 2008^[38] though did not succeed in that plan. Following his election as President, Barack Obama stated that he was committed to passing the Act.^[39]

The U.S. House of Representatives debated expansion of hate crimes legislation on April 29, 2009. During the debate, Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina called the "hate crime" labeling of Shepard's murder a "hoax". Shepard's mother was said to be in the House gallery when the congresswoman made this comment.^[40] Foxx later called her comments "a poor choice of words".^[41] The House passed the act, designated H.R. 1913, by a vote of 249 to 175.^[42] The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 28 by Ted Kennedy, Patrick Leahy, and a bipartisan coalition;^[43] it had 43 cosponsors as of June 17, 2009. The Matthew Shepard Act was adopted as an amendment to S.1390 by a vote of 63-28 on July 15, 2009.^[44] On October 22, 2009, the act was passed by the Senate by a vote of 68-29.^[45] President Obama signed the measure into law on October 28, 2009.^[46][47]

Public reaction and aftermath[link]

Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard, organized a group of individuals who assembled in a circle around an anti-gay group, wearing white robes and gigantic wings (resembling angels) that blocked the protesters. Police had to create a human barrier between the two protest groups.^[48]

While the organization had no name in the initial demonstration, it has since been ascribed various titles, including 'Angels of Peace' and 'Angel Action'.^[48][49] The fence to which Shepard was tied and left to die became an impromptu shrine for visitors, who left notes, flowers, and other mementos. It has since been removed by the land owner.

The murder continued to attract public attention and media coverage long after the trial was over. When ABC 20/20 ran a story in 2004 suggesting that Shepard had been HIV positive and quoting claims by McKinney, Henderson, and Kristen Price, and the prosecutor in the case that the murder had not been motivated by Shepard's sexuality but rather was a robbery gone violent amongst drug users (the suggestion being that Shepard was a heavy methamphetamine user)'^[16] it received considerable attention and criticism.

Retired Laramie Police Chief Dave O'Malley stated that the murderers' claims were not credible, but the prosecutor in the case stated that there was ample evidence that drugs were at least a factor in the murder.^[50] Other coverage focused on how these more recent statements contradicted those made at and near the trial.^[51]

Many musicians have written and recorded songs about the murder, including Elton John, whose 2001 album Songs from the West Coast included "American Triangle" (originally titled "American Tragedy"), a song about Shepard's murder. The American metal band Trivium also composed and recorded "And Sadness Will Sear" in their third album The Crusade in honor of Matthew Shepard and in protest to closed-mindedness and prejudice. Beejae, American recording artist better known as Johnny Saint-Lethal from the indie rock group THE SHOW, wrote and performed "Hate Crimes", where a verse and chorus is dedicated in satire to Matthew Shepard. It appeared on his only solo album, 2006's "It Was What It Was"

The American rock band Thursday recorded a song named after Shepard, "M. Shepard", on their 2003 album War All the Time. Tori Amos recorded 'Merman', a song allegedly written by Amos about Shepard. Lady Gaga performed John Lennon's 'Imagine' at the 2009 HRC Dinner and changed the lyrics from "above us only sky" to "with only Matthew in the sky"^[52] and Melissa Etheridge, whose 1999 album "Breakdown" contained "Scarecrow", a song dedicated to Shepard and his family and friends.

A play, three narrative films, and a documentary were made about Shepard: The Laramie Project, The Matthew Shepard Story, Anatomy of a Hate Crime, and Laramie Inside Out, and Moral Obligations, a fictionalized account of the night of the murder. The Laramie Project (a play, later turned into a film by HBO) compiles dozens of interviews with citizens of the town of Laramie ranging from a few months after the attack to a few years after. The play is designed to display the town's reaction to the crime.^[53][54]

Ten years later, The Laramie Project created a second play, based on interviews with members of the town, Shepard's mother, and his incarcerated murderer.^[55]

Legacy[link]

In the years following Shepard's death, his mother Judy Shepard has become a well-known advocate for LGBT rights, particularly issues relating to gay youth.

Matthew Shepard Foundation[link]

His mother is a prime force behind the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organizations. The group was founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of Matthew.

The Foundation focuses on three primary areas: erasing what it considers to be hate in society; putting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth first; and ensuring equality for all LGBT Americans.

[edit] Book: The Meaning of Matthew

The Meaning of Matthew, full title The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed is a 2009 biographical book by Judy Shepard about her son Matthew Shepard. Judy Shepard speaks about her loss, her family memories of Matthew, and the tragic event that changed the Shepards' lives and America. The Meaning of Matthew follows the Shepard family in the days immediately after the crime to see their incapacitated son, kept alive by life support machines; how the Shepards learned of the big response, candlelit vigils and memorial services for their child; how they struggled to navigate the legal system as Matthew's murderers were on trial.

In the book, Judy Shepard explains why she became a gay rights activist, and the challenges and rewards of raising a gay child in America today.

See also[link]

	LGBT portal
	Wyoming portal
	Criminal justice portal
	1990s portal

• Violence against LGBT people

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Shepard, Judy; (2009). The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed. New York, NY: Penguin Group USA. ISBN 978-1-59463-057-6. 
• Campbell, Shannon; Laura Castaneda (2005). News and Sexuality: Media Portraits of Diversity. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, Inc. ISBN 1-4129-0998-8. 
• Fondakowski, Leigh; Kaufman, Moises (2001). The Laramie project. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-375-72719-1. 
• Garceau, Dee; Basso, Matthew; McCall, Laura (2001). Across the Great Divide: cultures of manhood in the American West. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-92471-5. 
• Hinds, Patrick; Romaine Patterson (2005). The Whole World Was Watching: Living in the Light of Matthew Shepard. Advocate Books. ISBN 1-55583-901-0. 
• Loffreda, Beth (2000). Losing Matt Shepard: life and politics in the aftermath of anti-gay murder. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11859-7. 
• Swigonski, Mary E.; Mama, Robin S.; Ward, Kelly (2001). From Hate Crimes to Human Rights: A Tribute to Matthew Shepard. New York: Routledge. ISBN 1-56023-256-0. 
• "The Laramie project" by Moises Kaufman

External links[link]

• The Matthew Shepard Foundation (official website)– founded by parents Judy and Dennis Shepard to "Replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance through educational, outreach, and advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew's story"
• ABC News - 2004 Report on the Attack, a "Third Story", and the Trials
• Website for biography "The Whole World Was Watching: Living In The Light of Matthew Shepard"
• Matthew Shepard Resource Site at the University of Wyoming;
• Matthew Shepard Online Resources
• Barry Yeoman, A Mother Finds Her Voice, US Weekly
• Laramie Inside Out Documentary Film
• Matthew Shepard collection at the University of Wyoming - American Heritage Center
• Matthew Shepard Web Archive at the University of Wyoming - American Heritage Center

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Claudio Baglioni
Claudio Baglioni
Background information
Born	(1951-05-16) 16 May 1951 (age 61)
Origin	Rome, Italy
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, conductor
Years active	1965–present
Website	Claudio Baglioni official website

Claudio Baglioni (born 16 May 1951) is an Italian musician. His various works include the official Anthem for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. He has also written for previous sporting events.

His musical career began in 1965 when he entered a competition for new talents in the Rome district of Centocelle. Between 1965 and 1968 he composed a musical suite to a poem by Edgar Allan Poe entitled Annabel Lee, made a test recording for RCA, released his first album Claudio Baglioni. In 1969, he entered the Disco per l'estate competition with the song Una favola blu and the Festivalbar competition with Signora Lia. The following year, Baglioni released his first album Claudio Baglioni, which didn't sell well and was retired from the market a few weeks after initial release.

Following the release of his second album Un cantastorie dei giorni nostri in 1972, he made the big-time with Questo piccolo grande amore. He set off for his first tour in 1973, the year of Gira che ti rigira amore bello. On 4 August 1973, he married Paola Massari. In 1974 he produced E tu in Paris in collaboration with Vangelis and in 1975 Sabato pomeriggio with arrangements by Luis Enriquez Bacalov. In 1977 he released Solo and began a tour of the United States and Canada. 1978 was the year of E tu come stai?, released by his new record company CBS.

In 1981 he produced the hugely successful album Strada facendo and gave a series of concerts in the palasport buildings. For the birth of his son Giovanni, in 1982, he composed Avrai, a song dedicated to his newborn son Giovanni, and set off for the highly acclaimed Alé-oó tour, which spawned an album of the same name. In 1985 he produced La vita è adesso and the following year set off for the Assolo tour, a three-hour tour-de-force of vocals, guitar and piano. After two years of work, he released Oltre, an album which included the participation of numerous illustrious names from the international music world, such as Paco De Lucia, Pino Daniele, Mia Martini, Youssou N'Dour, Phil Palmer, Tony Levin and others.

From then until 1994 he went on a series of tours around Italy. In 1995 he produced Io sono qui, followed by the Tour Rosso in palasport buildings. In the summer of 1998 his dream of holding concerts in the main Italian stadiums came true. In 1999 he released the album Viaggiatore sulla coda del tempo.

In 2003, Baglioni released a new album, Sono io, l'uomo della storia accanto, and won the Lunezia Prize. Crescendo e cercando and Tutti qui - Collezione dal 1967 al 2005 followed two years later.

In 2006 he released for Columbia Records the album Quelli degli altri: Tutti qui.

In 2009, worked on a movie based on themes from his songs movie. The double-disc soundtrack album Q.P.G.A features full-length versions performed together with other famous musicians like Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini and Irene Grandi. Baglioni also wrote a novella. In Italy the album was 3X platinum with more than 180,000 copies sold.

In 2010 Baglioni went on a series of tours around the world. After that, he released a new album, Per il mondo. World Tour 2010.

External links[link]

• Claudio Baglioni official website
• Claudio Baglioni official international fanclub - english
• (Spanish) Claudio Baglioni official fan club in Spain
• The Anthem of the Olympic Winter Games From Torino 2006's official website.