The world of advertising can be crass, comedic, infused with nostalgia or tug on heartstrings. From the politically incorrect to the wildly out of context, a new exhibition at the National Library of Australia is showcasing vintage advertisements from the 1790s to the 1990s.

More than 200 posters, artworks, printers’ proofs, brochures and magazines have been extracted from library archives to provide a retrospective of the ephemeral world of Australian advertising. Here are some of the highlights.

• The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s opens at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on 23 November

