“L’héritage” Is In the Streets: The Text, Images and Legacy of May 1968

The events of May 1968 in France are among the most important and influential events of the Cold War period. The posters and graffiti of the movement contain significant cultural contributions whose content and legacy are still controversial and prominent parts of French culture some 46 years later. This study examines both the visual and textual portions of both the posters and graffiti from the “mai 68” movement in Paris to discuss their relevance and their origins. This study also analyzes the legacy of the slogans from the graffiti as well as that of the visual elements of the posters. The graffiti and posters from the movement were organized and analyzed by their topic and origins. The study concludes that the posters and graffiti were a significant contribution to the French cultural and political milieu, an effect that will not be mitigated in the near future