The posters, prints and illustrations in this exhibit - on loan from Chicago’s Polish Museum of America and the Polish Mission in Orchard Lake, Michigan - are united not by any particular topic, but by the fact that they bear testimony to the material and spiritual culture of Polonia, creating a mental portrait of the Polish diaspora. Historically, the posters relate to the interwar period of the Second Polish Republic (1918-1939). The posters illustrate the way Poles in America thought about their own past, manifested through pride and nostalgia. References to Polish tradition, customs and exotic folklore are prevalent, and emotional expressions of strong patriotism and national identity prevail. Taken as a whole, the posters define the popular way of thinking about Poland and the importance of native traditions, rituals, customs and mythology.