Archivo: The Sting (1973 alt poster)

Description: An alternate poster for the American theatrical release of the 1973 film The Sting. The film's stars, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, are illustrated in a minimalist Art Deco style. The most famous poster associated with the film is this design by illustrator Richard Amsel. A second alternate poster was illustrated by Charles Moll. Unlike this poster, both of the other designs were published with a valid copyright notice and remain under copyright.
Title: The Sting (1973 alt poster)
Credit: Scan via Heritage Auctions.
Author: Illustrator unknown; presumably a work-for-hire for distributor Universal Pictures.
Permission: No permission is required. First, the photo is a mechanical scan/photocopy of the original poster and does not qualify for independent copyright protection. Second, the poster was first published prior to 1978 without a valid copyright notice. Keep in mind that the pre-1989 requirements for copyright notice were highly formalistic and, other than a few enumerated exceptions, required these three elements: "The symbol © or the word 'Copyright' or the abbreviation 'Copr.' or an acceptable variant such as "(c)"; "The year of first publication for the work"; and "The name of the copyright owner, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner." If just one of these elements is omitted, the work is deemed to be published without notice and is not eligible for copyright protection.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No