There are several collections of vintage educational posters on Pictureboxblue. They are all in the Public Domain and free to download and print. The most popular posters are by the French natural illustrator and entomologist Adolphe Millot.
I have gathered these old educational posters in one place, so it is easier to find them. Most of these illustrations are from old encyclopedias and natural history dictionaries. There are a few geographical posters in the collection too.
The Adolphe Millot Poster Collection
You will probably recognize the beautiful detailed natural history posters of Adolphe Phillope Millot. His posters were wonderful classifications of natural history groups within the animal and plant kingdom.
He is probably most famous for his flowers (fleurs) and insect vintage educational posters. Adolphe Millot also drew a wonderful set of sealife posters, botanicals, and fungi.
Millots illustrated many of the natural history sections of the French encyclopedic dictionary Le Petit Larousse, and The Nouveau Larousse illustré. These French publications were printed in several volumes between 1897-1907.
You are more likely to come across Adolphe Millots illustrations printed on decorative objects such as posters, gift wraps, and tea-towels.
Before the internet, film, and photography, the only way to show the amazing visual wonders of the natural world was through illustration. The vintage drawings and paintings were incredibly important to the development of science and education.
These wonderful artistic illustrations filled natural history books and illustrated encyclopedias. Many also ended up as classroom posters to inspire and educate.
The Vintage Educational Poster Collections
Click on the educational poster collection that you are interested in. Higher-resolution posters will be available to download for free.
Free Natural History Sea Life Posters Of Adolphe Millot
There are a total of 11 posters in this collection of Adolphe Millot educational posters. All the illustrations relate to life in the oceans, from algae to fish, shellfish and other sea creatures.
The collection includes a couple of wonderful oceanographic posters illustrating the colofulness and beauty of life beneath the waves.
Free Printable Natural History Posters Of Adolphe Millot
This is a general collection of 10 Adolphe Millot posters that includes birds, eggs, feathers, butterflies and other insects.
Amazing Free Collection Of Antique Botanical Posters
Adolphe Millots' famous Fleur posters are in this collection of beautiful vintage botanical educational posters. There are 10 posters in this collection, a mixture of pretty flower and mushroom identification charts and posters.
Free Animal Posters From Illustrated Larousse Dictionaries
14 wonderful posters by Adolphe Millot from French illustrated dictionary which covers the animal kingdom. From posters of wild mamamals and reptiles to those of domesticated animals. Other groupings include animals with fur and those with claws.
Free Vintage Fruit and Vegetable Prints by Adolphe Millot
These are great posters to have in the classroom during harvest time. There are 3 fruit and 3 vegitable idenification charts.
Beautiful Vintage Butterfly Images Free To Print
In this collection of butterfly prints there are both Adolphe Millots' well-known Papillon (butterfly) posters.
Vintage Free Natural History School Emile Deyrolle Posters
These are a collection of fabulous late 19th century French natural history educational Emile Deyrolle Posters. These posters were specifically designed to educate French schoolchildren and cover many areas of biology from human to botanical.
These are not just identification charts, many of the posters are educational. For example, those that highlight particular biological functions such as the human nervous system or the anatomy of potatoes.
Stunning Free Tree Posters From Larousse
Another wonderful poster collection from the French Larousee encyclopedias, this time of trees.
Free Amazingly Colorful Educational Geography Posters
These educational posters are not natural history posters but geographical school posters. There are 8 amazing colorful posters designed by Levi Yaggy for use in schools in the USA.
These would have been fascinating posters to study. They illustrate many georgraphical features beautifully, from the different climate habitats to geographical formations.
Amazing Free Vintage Color Wheel Posters And Charts
These posters are perfect for the art room. The vintage color wheels and charts as well as being educational will brighten up the walls.
I hoped you found educational posters in the collection above that you liked. There are many more beautiful free vintage posters on Pictureboxblue. Even though they might not be so educational, they would look great both in the classroom and at home.
Such as the fantastical fish of Louis Renard or the beautiful nature artform posters of Ernst Haeckel.
These include many of the vintage maps on the site, especially the hemisphere world maps. For fun, how about the colorful vintage circus posters or Japanese travel posters.
Vanessa
Wednesday 14th of June 2023
What dimensions are best for these posters to be printed?
claire
Monday 26th of June 2023
I'd ask your local print shop what dimensions are best. The size of each poster is slightly different as I've got the highest resolution I could find for each one. Make sure you click the title above each poster to download the largest sizes.
Connie Smith
Friday 30th of September 2022
I was born in 63 and grew up with these on the walls of my schools. I've also seen them on stamps and encyclopedias. They are beautiful.
claire
Saturday 1st of October 2022
Yes, they are beautiful posters. I miss old encyclopedia illustrations.