The collection consists of approximately 120 posters created between 1936 and 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.

In July of 1936, Francisco Franco led a military coup with the goal of overthrowing the democratically elected government of the Spanish Republic, marking the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The violent conflict sparked the creation of posters by both the victorious Nationalists and the Republicans. Most posters in the collection support the Republican cause, but the Nationalists are also represented, and the posters feature the perspectives of the trade unions, Catalonian nationalists, and various international groups. (For a list of poster sponsors and artists, see the Creator/Related Name Index.) The posters warned of the evils of communism and fascism and called citizens to action for a variety of causes such as food production and conservation. (For a list of subjects represented, see the Subject Index.) Acquired by the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division from various sources, these posters give voice to the many conflicting agendas that contributed to the chaos in Spain during the Civil War.