Born out of necessity, billboards were probably first used to convey a message to the majority of individuals who were illiterate. The oldest known billboards ad was posted in the Egyptian city of Thebes over 3,000 years ago and offered a reward for a runaway slave. Prior to the late 1700s, the predecessor to the modern day billboards—billposting—was prevalent throughout Europe, but only as an informal source of information. It wasn't until the invention of lithography in the late eighteenth century that billboards as a medium expanded into an art form. The first art poster was created in 1871 by Englishman Frederick Walker, who was commissioned to create the playbill for the play "Lady in White" in London. By the early 1900s, schools for poster art were being formed and artists like Talouse Lautrec were making names for themselves.
The first large scale use of the billboards as an advertising[advertising?:advertising material cutting machine] tool was as circus posters printed or secured on horse-drawn trucks that would precede a show to town in order to increase interest and attendance. At this time, billboards were not standardized or controlled by any laws. During 1872-1912, organizations in the United States met to create billboards standards. Originally, the standard set was 24-sheet poster panels with a total size of 19.5 x 8.7 ft (6 x 2.6 m). Today, that size remains the same, while technology has reduced 24 sheets to 10.
It was also during the early 1900s that electric billboards were used to light up cities. Prior to the electric billboards, cities were dark, foreboding places. The electric bill-board brought the cities to life at night, creating a more hospitable atmosphere that induced people to stay on the streets. Hence, the birth of nightlife.
By the late 1920s, more people were purchasing automobiles and traveling beyond the city. Billboards advertising expanded as well, and for the first time, billboards advertising had to consider a wider range of demographic audiences. Billboards art and design changed with the times, reflecting new technologies and the mood of a generation. With the use of photography and comics, billboards portrayed a world without problems during the depression of the 1930s. The 1950s gave rise to the hand-painted billboards and use of sexual innuendo in campaigns. Billboards were extensively used in China to promote Red Army politics. It was also during this time that billboards companies utilized the boom truck with a crane to move billboards and place them in more prominent positions. During the 1960s, celebrity endorsements became essential and the advent of the superstar was born. Focus shifted from the family to the singles lifestyle and the medium itself was emulated in the Pop Art movement. As interest in environmentalism increased during the late 1960s and early 1970s, billboards ads borrowed images from nature. It was at this time that the Marlboro man on horseback was born. In the 1970s and 1980s, campaigns used sexually explicit rather than implied themes. Objects were omnipotent and were created larger than life with little or no accompanying text.
