A steelworks advertisement cut into wood: above the plant, a worker raises his tool; below, in block letters, the name of the company that made most of Italy’s steel.
The sheet is built vertically. Along the top runs the line Per l’autarchia dell’acciaio — for the self-sufficiency of steel. The worker is seen from below, bare-chested, both arms raised; behind him the plant climbs in diagonals: blast furnaces, stacks, gantries, a flight of steps. Lower down, a fascio littorio is carved on a shield — the emblem in official use in Italy at the time. At the foot of the sheet, in large letters, ILVA, and beneath it Alti Forni Acciaierie d’Italia. The signature is cut vertically into the lower left margin.
The image belongs to the campaign for autarky, the policy of national self-sufficiency in raw materials that followed the sanctions of 1935–36; steel was one of its central subjects. Ilva was the largest Italian steel group of the period.
The engraver is given as Daniele Fontana (Milan, 15 May 1900 – Sala Comacina, 29 September 1984), a draughtsman, illustrator and painter known for his satirical work in magazines such as Il Travaso delle idee and Bertoldo.
About this image. The work is still protected by copyright: under Italian law (L. 633/1941) rights run for 70 years from the death of the author, and that term has not expired. It is reproduced here for documentation, study and critical purposes only, under Art. 70 of L. 633/1941 and the fair-use provision of 17 U.S.C. §107. The scan was made by the collector from his own copy of the work — the period magazine printings and loose sheets he keeps in a private archive: owning the physical copy is not the same as holding the rights to the work. The image is not offered for sale and no reproduction rights are granted. Cultural Heritage Online publishes this material to document it, with no celebratory intent; see our terms and the DMCA contact published there.
