On the front page of its weekend arts section, the New York Times ran a review of a new art show at the New-York Historical Society called “Art as Activism: Graphic Art From the Merrill C. Berman Collection.” The website for the collection asks, “How did political messages go viral before the Internet?” Agit-prop posters, that's how.

The show contains what the Times reviewer calls a "fantastic" selection of 71 posters from the 1930s to the ’70s, which "show the role visual art has played in political and protest movements in the United States." Framed like paintings, the posters "offer a rich alternate history of the last century in the United States, one you probably didn’t learn about in your American history textbooks." Unless your American history textbook was written by Howard Zinn, perhaps.

Some feature Communist Party candidates for president and are printed in bold red ink, which the reviewer says "are a reminder of the progressive agenda of the Communist Party." Today its more of a reminder of the Communist agenda of the progressive party.

As the Times reviewer notes,

An entire room is devoted to the Black Panthers, who, in addition to their revolutionary philosophy, had a highly developed aesthetic sensibility.

-- in addition to their highly-developed proclivity for racism and violence.

Several posters depict Black Power leaders like Huey Newton and Angela Davis in close-ups mimicking those of movie stars.

-- making celebrities out of revolutionaries.

The best known Black Panther artist was Emory Douglas, the group’s minister of culture and editor of its newspaper, who created many of the publication’s covers. Several of his lithographs are included here, addressing oppression and police brutality.

Apparently no lithographs addressing Black Panther brutality were included. Perhaps they're saving those for the next show at the New-York Historical Society.

The Times reviewer concludes by wondering if "there is still a role for the poster in making messages go viral today." Apparently she's unfamiliar with Sabo, the conservative street artist whose work posted guerrilla-style in major urban areas have caused quite a stir. Some memorable examples: