▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁exhib it ▁of ▁Let ter ing ▁by ▁Hand . ▁ ▁Const antine ▁organized ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁exhibition ▁titled ▁Word ▁and ▁Image , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁exhibition ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁post ers ▁in ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁collection ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁and ▁whose ▁catalog ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁major ▁element ▁document ing ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁poster . ▁In ▁his ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁exhib it , ▁art ▁critic ▁John ▁Canad ay ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote : ▁▁ ▁" the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ' s ▁new ▁exhibition ▁of ▁post ers , ▁which ▁opened ▁yesterday ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Word ▁and ▁Image , ▁is ▁so ▁hand some ▁that ▁for ▁a ▁minute ▁you ▁wonder ▁why ▁bill boards ▁are ▁dis figure ments ," ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁museum ▁had ▁held ▁ 3 5 ▁prior ▁poster ▁exhib itions ▁but ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁its ▁most ▁compreh ensive ▁and ▁that ▁while ▁most ▁post ers ▁look ▁dated ▁after ▁a ▁few ▁years , ▁the ▁items ▁Const antine ▁selected ▁from ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁collection ▁of ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁post ers ▁" are ▁as ▁force ful ▁as ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁issued ." ▁▁ ▁Crit ic ▁Hil ton ▁K ram er ' s ▁review ▁in ▁The ▁Times , ▁described ▁the ▁exhib it ▁as ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 3 0 0 ▁post ers ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁to