217.1a Introduction to the Graphic Arts

I actually found the "Full Moon letter press poster" on page 23 of "Thinking with Type" to be really cluttered and difficult to comprehend. At first glance, I would never have imagined it to be an advertisement for a steamship cruise. The wrong key words are highlighted. For instance, probably the most important word on the poster "steamship," is one of the smallest font sizes. Granted, the poster was published in 1875 and they were attempting to display a variety of typefaces, but I feel they were more focused on the revolution of advertising and type then they were about making money off of the steamboat tours. This designer did emphasize the words "Belle" (the name of the steamship, ironically) grand, moonlight, excursion, and the band being featured. All of these concepts suggest something outside the realm of everyday life in 1875, but to me the typefaces don't attract my attention to the correct aspects.
My eye doesn't know where to look first. It's uncomfortable to look from the top to the bottom, even though the letters are "perfectly proportioned." I prefer the more simple, direct type of the Bauhaus style.