Original WWII Poster

Any wartime poster directed at a domestic audience carries several messages simultaneously.  It must stoke the fires of national pride and determination; it must show that one’s victory is inevitable; and it must inculcate a degree of urgency in civilians by illustrating the sacrifices of the warfighters at the front.

Although such messages can be stated blatantly, they are more effective when done with the subtle touch.  This 1942 poster, with its focus on an iconic Uncle Sam, does exactly that.  The vivid evocation of the massive figure catalyzes patriotic sentiments in the viewer, sentiments which are all the more powerful given the grand figure’s heavy, flag-draped burden. 

Uncle Sam, wreathed in smoke and surrounded by long lines of heavy bombers and advancing soldiers, also presents an image of indomitable strength.  This is one of the most crucial messages a government can get across to its citizens – "We are absolutely going to win.  Your help makes victory all the more certain."  Nothing energizes the population like the thought of victory. 

One of the military’s goals during World War Two was the maintenance of civilian morale.  Without it, production would fall and the soldiers at the front would be deprived of necessary warfighting materials.  So, the government set out to remind those at home that their efforts were every bit as important to the war effort as were the sacrifices of the frontline fighters.

This poster, produced in 1944 by the U.S. Navy’s Industrial Incentive Division, was part of that effort.  It depicts a sailor shaking hands with two industrial workers – a man in coveralls and a woman with a white apron and hair covering.  The sailor is smiling and carries the message that "I’m proud of you folks too" – a clear effort on the part of the government to make those in the factories take an active, enthusiastic stake in the war effort.

The poster’s creator was Jon Whitcomb (1906-1988), a prominent American artist known for his prodigious drafting skills.  He frequently did cover work for publications as diverse as Good Housekeeping, Collier’s, McCall’s, and even Playboy.  His writing, done for children’s books as well as for a Cosmopolitan feature called "On Location with Jon Whitcomb," also achieved some notoriety.

During the early parts of the war, Whitcomb served as a Navy lieutenant on a minesweeper.  After this stint, he moved on to become a war artist – he drew sketches of the invasions of Tinian, Saipan, and Peleliu island.  The "I’m proud of you" poster was one of many done for the homefront effort.

In World War II Britain, not every poster dealt with themes of morale, production, or war finance.  The Home Islands, under attack from the German Luftwaffe, had to determine a way to keep safe those parts of the population that were not directly related to the civil defense and combat effort.

The foremost group that English planners involved in this effort were children.  The youth of Great Britain, especially those who lived in southern counties vulnerable to German bombardment were evacuated en masse to the more northerly regions of the country.  Perhaps the most famous depiction of these events is in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, in which the Pevensie children – Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy – are transported to central England during the height of the Blitzkrieg.

The relocation effort is the focus of this poster, which features a smiling young boy and girl directly above an injunction that "Children are safer in the countryside…leave them there."  Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any evidence that allows one to definitively identify the author of date of the piece.  However, because of the historical events in question, it is safe to assume that the poster probably originated in 1940 or 1941, which were the peak years of the German assault against England.

The English have begun to experience a rekindling of interest in this subject.  A museum in London recently opened an exhibition to commemorate this period of history.  Says the curator: "Pretty well everybody over the age of 65 in Britain will have experiences directly relating to the impact of war but we also hope this exhibition will interest their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren."

In time of conflict, national symbols are frequently used to engage the populace and enlist them in the war effort.  Those symbols are particularly effective when they embody strength, stamina, and commitment.

This WWI-era poster, which dates to c.1917, evokes exactly those feelings.  America’s national bird, the bald eagle, towers over a squadron of U.S. airmen as they fly off to engage their enemies in the skies of Europe.  U.S. citizens at home, just like their compatriots abroad, are enjoined to defend the symbol of American liberty and strength.

At the time of this poster’s use, the U.S. government was engaged in a massive fundraising effort to help finance its involvement in the war.  As part of this campaign, it sold a substantial number of War Savings Stamps, which came in denominations of 10, 25, and 50 cents as well in $1 and $5 amounts.  Although the stamps did not collect interest, they were frequently redeemable for war bonds of a value equal to the contributed stamps.

The poster’s creator is Charles Livingston Bull (1874-1932), a prominent American artist and socialite.  Bull was born in rural New York, and was a passionate lover of nature.  His works, which frequently depict various forms of wildlife, earned him the praise of his contemporaries and landed him a job as Chief Taxidermist at the National Museum in Washington, D.C.

Bull’s work was regularly featured in prominent publications life The Saturday Evening Post, Life, Collier’s, and Country Gentleman, among others.  It was characterized by strong curvilinear elements and flat, strong presentation.  Bull furthered the dynamism of his works by closely cropping them, which creates a feel of action and urgency, perfect for wartime solicitations.

During World War II public relations specialists advised the U.S. Government that the most effective war posters were the ones that appealed to the emotions. The 1943 War Bonds poster shown here played on the public’s desire to keep their loved ones safe.  It was created by the U.S. Treasury Department.

A study of commercial posters undertaken by the U.S. Government found that images of women and children in danger were effective emotional devices. Early Canadian posters were used as part of the study and served as a models for American posters, that adopted a similar visual themes.

The frame border simulates that of a family portrait, making it the poster all the more intimate and personal.

The artist who created this image is unknown.  The 

The artist signature: Munsett?

picture is signed, but research into the name can not establish for certain the artist.  In fact there is not even consensus as to the name inscribed on the poster.  The Center has found the  artist listed as Mussert, Muncell and Munsett by different art dealers, university digital libraries, and WW II poster art collections. 

Arguably the most famous American poster of all time is the "I Want You" US Army recruiting post created by James Montgomery Flagg in 1917.

James Flagg

Flagg was born in Pelham Manor, New York. He was enthusiastic about drawing from a young age, and had illustrations accepted by national magazines by the age of 12 years. By 14 he was a contributing artist for Life Magazine, and the following year was on the staff of Judge Magazine. He studied fine art in London and Paris in his early 20s, then returned to the United States, where he produced illustrations for books, magazine covers, political and humorous cartoons, advertising, and spot drawings prolifically.

Original WW I U.S. Army Recruiting Poster

His most famous illustration though remains his 1917 recruitment poster. Flagg used his own face for that of Uncle Sam (adding age and the white goatee), he said later simply to avoid the trouble of arranging for a model.

The pose of Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer  combined with the caption "I Want YOU" proved to be a huge success and over 4 million copies of the poster were printed during World War I.   In fact, the poster was considered so effective that it was revived in 1940 and used throughout World War II. Uncle Sam’s riveting stare was dubbed by one observer as "mobilization by shame": there was no escaping his call.

Flagg created no less that 46 posters for the U.S. Government during the World War I period.  

Alfred Leete’s Kitchener poster

Flagg’s inspiration for his poster was a 1914 British recruitment poster by Alfred Leete showing Lord Kitchener, then Head of the British Army, in a similar pose with the headline "Your Country Needs You." Leete’s concept was copied by almost every other Allied combatant in the war.

Barclay’s sailors are notable for their square jaws, well-defined muscles and exceptional physique. Theron MacKay, gunners mate, recalls meeting Barclay:
"Me and another crew member were cleaning a gun, so we were bare from the waist up. Barclay had his sketchpad and was drawing us. Being an amateur artist myself, I took an interest in what he was doing and asked could I look over his shoulder? Well, he made us look like the finest human specimens that ever were! Really, we were skinny kids with our ribs hanging out. I said to him, ‘I don’t look like that!’ and he answered, ‘Well, if I sketched you like you are, it wouldn’t make much of recruiting poster, now would it?’"

An accomplished painter, illustrator, sculptor and jewelry designer, McClelland Barclay had developed a very successful art career by the time he became a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserve in 1938. Barclay was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1891 and received his education at several different art schools. At the St. Louis Museum of Fine Arts (now the School of Art, Washington University in St. Louis) he studied design with the energetic Halsey Cooley Ives, the founding director of that institution. At the Art Students League in New York, he studied figure drawing with George B. Bridgman and illustration with Thomas Fogarty, both highly regarded artists and lecturers. Barclay also spent time at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago. 

He became an active member of the Art Students League, the Chicago Art Club, the Society of Illustrators, the Association of Arts and Industries, and the Artists Guild. His illustrations graced the covers of Ladies’ Home Journal, Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan and other well-known magazines. He also illustrated advertisements for General Motors, Whitman’s Chocolates, Texaco Oil, Camel and Chesterfield cigarettes. His reputation as a creator of stylish, striking women landed him one of the judging positions of the 1935 Miss America pageant. 

Vought SB2U-2 "Vindicator" with Barclay’s experimental camouflage design in 1940

Barclay’s first connection with the Navy came during World War I when he was awarded the Navy Poster Prize by the Committee on National Preparedness, 1917, for his poster "Fill the Breach." The following year, he worked on Naval camouflage under William Andrew Mackay, Chief of the New York District Emergency Fleet Corporation. He renewed his naval connection on 13 June 1938, when he was appointed Assistant Naval Constructor with the rank of Lieutenant, USNR. In mid-1940, Barclay prepared designs for experimental camouflage for different types of Navy combat aircraft.

On 19 October 1940, Barclay reported for active duty. He served in the New York Recruiting Office, designing posters over the next two and a half years that would become some of the Navy’s most popular recruiting images of World War II. With the entrance of the United States into the war in 1941, he volunteered to become a combat artist. Though not accepted as a part of the official Combat Art Section, he fulfilled similar functions through the Recruiting Office.

LCDR Barclay made short tours of duty in both the Atlantic and the Pacific on the U.S.S. Arkansas (BB-33), U.S.S. Pennsylvania (BB-38), U.S.S. Honolulu (CL-48), and U.S.S. Maryland (BB-46). On 18 July 1943, Barclay was aboard LST-342 (Group 14, Flotilla 5) when it was torpedoed by Japanese submarine Ro-106 at 1:30 a.m. He had been on board since the first of the month, sketching and taking photographs, during which time LST-342 had been carrying ammunition and supplies to Rendova, New Georgia in the Solomon Islands from Guadalcanal. The torpedo struck the aft portion of the ship where officers and others, including Barclay, were berthed. The stern sank immediately. Barclay, along with most of the crew, perished. The bow of the LST remained afloat and was towed to a beach on the island of Ghavutu so that any useable equipment could be salvaged. Barclay’s body was never found and he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal; the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.