Attack Attack Attack

Over the top.

The artist commissioned for this work is Ferdinand Warren and the poster is from 1942.  There is a larger size available, but this one is 28” x 22”.  Office of Government Printing: 1942-O-497775.

It's Got To Fit . . . To Do Its Bit!

Grind those gears.

A Canadian poster issued by the Wartime Information Board for the Department of Munitions and Supply.  It was printed in Canada and is also marked with the notation “IE-7”.  There is no year or artist information about this poster that I can find. The poster is 36" x 24".

Give us the Ships, We'll Finish the Subs!

Depth charge away!

This Canadian poster is by Alex Colville. The notation by the signature indicates that it is from 1941.  It was issued by the Wartime Information Board in Ottawa.  It measures 36” x 24”.

I was a victim of CARELESS TALK

A ghostly image of a man above a sunken ship, broken in two, laying at the bottom of the sea.  The artist is Harry Mayerovitch a Montreal artist, architect, and author. It is one of a number of posters Mayerovitch produced during the Second World War, during which he also headed the Wartime Information Board's Graphic Arts Division.  It is published by the Wartime Information Board, Ottawa.  This particular item is quite small (10" x 8") and includes a thread on the top, as if it was designed to be hung on the wall or next to a door. The collection also contains a larger poster (24.5" x 18") of this identical image.

UNITED we are strong / UNITED we will win (2)

Another 21 Flag Salute

This is a duplicate of a poster depicted earlier in this blog.  Please refer to that entry for more information.  This particular copy is a different size (22" x 16") and has a wider white margin.

YOUR SCRAP . . . brought it down

Eject! Eject!

This poster urges people to collect and donate scrap metal for the war effort, and demonstrates how that scrap is used.  The artist is S. Broder.  U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-O-486746. It is 28" x 20".  There is a very similar poster, with the same wording but with a different image and layout, also printed at about the same time.

Whatever your job may be FIGHT

Artist is Eric Aldwinkle.  Published by the Director of Public Information, Ottawa.  A soldier holds a gun behind a laborer holding a hammer.  A Canadan poster urging people to support the war effort. This poster is 31" x 21".

Doing all you can, brother?

By artist Robert Sloan.  Color poster shows a close-up of a soldier with a bandaged head and a blood-stained khaki uniform. He has light-colored hair and blue eyes. In the background, a barren field lies scattered with broken or abandoned machinery.  US Government Printing Office: 1943-O-502782, measures 28" x 22".

Deliver us from evil

Young girl, crying, a bit dirty and haggard, in front of a swastika, with the reminder to Buy War Bonds across the bottom.  Artist is Harriet Nadeau.  U.S. Government Printing Office: 1943-O-523825, and this poster is 28" x 22".

Every Canadian Must Fight

Standing a bit close, friend?

This Canadian World War 2 poster has a worker standing behind a Canadian soldier with the theme that he who stays home also fights if he works hard. This nice image was printed in Canada and issued by the Director of Public Information. It is 30" x 21.5". The artist is Philip Surrey .

a careless word . . . another cross

A stark white grave marker on brown dirt background with a GI helmet and ammo belt slung across it.  OWI Poster No. 23.  1943-O-501237.  Artist is John Atherton. Large poster, 40" x 28", in fine shape.  This is quite a famous image, and is even in the MoMa collection.

American Labor . . . Producing for Attack

It's off to work I go.

Unfortunately, this poster is torn at some of the fold marks.  However, the colors are still vibrant.  I guess the paper is old and of a different stock than the other posters, as it is noticeably aged and browned. Printing along the bottom is U.S. Government Printing Office 1943 O-541688.  In right lower corner is WFB Poster No. A-40. It is a large poster, measuring 40" x 28".

Still More Production

It looks like the owner of this arm is about to punch someone.

An hand rolls up a sleeve exposing the muscular forearm, as if to get to work.  The sleeve is in the style of the American Flag.  Printed along the bottom is War Production Board A-23.  U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-O-491591.  The artist may be Peter Phillips, but that is not confirmed.  There is not a lot of information about this poster available. This particular copy is very small, 10" x 7".

Somebody Blabbed. Button Your Lip!

Don't talk about anything.

The artist commissioned for this poster is Albert Dorne.  On a blood red background an outstretched hand lies limply next to a the smoking butt of a rifle.  GPO Jacket No. 451239.  This particular poster appears to have been hung or displayed at some point in the past.  It is more worn at the folds than others in the collection.  Interestingly, it is also notarized.  There is an embossed / raised seal on the lower right corner reading, "Notarial Seal Ramsey County, Minn." The poster is 20" x 14".

Give 'em the stuff to fight with . . .

Studios are hell,

A poster created from a black and white combat photograph by Valentino Sarra (1903 - 1982) showing an American soldier struggling to drag his wounded comrade back to friendly lines. 20" x 14".  GPO Jacket No. 461576.

it's plain horse sense act / think SAFETY

Answers Mr. Ed's question, "What did you do during the war, Daddy?"

This lighthearted poster is a winking horse on a bright yellow background reminding workers to think about safety and reduce accidents.  The seal on the poster reads, 'National Committee For Conservation of Man-Power in War Industries.'  Printed along the bottom is U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-O-466159. It measures 20" x 14".  The artist is Ekman. I am not sure if it is the same person as Harry Ekman known for his drawings of 'pin up' girls.

Just by Keeping Well YOU can help WIN THIS WAR

An apple a day . . .

"Just by Keeping Well"  This is a poster encouraging Americans to eat healthy, exercise, and take care of themselves.  It lists five steps to a healthy lifestyle, while noting that many doctors are overseas with the Armed Services, so those left at home are very busy. The poster is 20" x 13.5".

For Liberty and Peace on Earth

Merry Christmas!  You'll thank me in 30 years.

"For Liberty and Peace on Earth give War Bonds"  The Liberty Bell floats above a $100 War Bond. Official U. S. Treasury Poster created for Christmas, 1944. This poster has the Liberty Bell hanging from a mantel with holly. Additional bells of paper hang from the mantel, and in the middle of the poster is a $100 War Bond. Message: The best present of all is a War Bond. U.S. Government Printing Office: 1944-O-611278.  Bottom right reads WFD 965-C.  Artist is Lyman Simpson.

The United Nations Fight For Freedom (3)

Forward.  Forever forward.

This is the larger size image of a previous posting. Please refer to the earlier item for more information.  This particular copy is 28" x 20".

Every day you take off -- gives the Axis a break

I hope this guy has a note from his doctor.

Little information is available about this poster. This copy is of the large size, 40" x 28". I must admit it is one of my favorites, and since not much is written about it, I'll add my own commentary. It certainly looks as if our friend is having a wonderful day. Leaning back in his chair, probably listening to the ball game on the radio as he enjoys a cold beer. This looks a lot more relaxing than work. But the cartoon Hitler at the bottom reminds us who the shirking really benefits. Good thing, too, or this poster would increase truancy by a significant amount.  U.S. Government Printing Office: 1943-O-519876.  Poster produced by the War Production Board A-19.

SOMEONE TALKED!

I am pointing at you.

In the dark of night, illuminated only by the reflection of the moon off the water, a sailor slips below the surface of an icy sea. But not before pointing directly at the the person who doomed his voyage and led to his death. This is a very large poster, 40" x 28".  The artist is Frederick Siebel.  The poster is noted as OWI # 18, 1942-O-496733.

A careless word . . . A NEEDLESS SINKING

Row row row your lifeboat.

This is a large poster, 37" x 28".  Printed along the bottom is OWI Poster No. 24.  1942-O-502219.  The poster shows men in a lifeboat in the right lower foreground rowing away from a burning ship in the background.  The artist is Anton Otto Fischer.

Bowl Them Over - More Production

Das raycess.

In this poster, bowling pins assuming the caricatures of Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini are stuck by a bowling ball labeled 'more production.'  This is a very small poster, about the size of a piece of paper, 10" x 7".  Along the bottom right is U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-O-469851.

This man is your FRIEND - He fights for FREEDOM

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi

A smiling Australian soldier in uniform and wearing a slouch hat.  Printed along the bottom is the notation 'GPO Jacket No. 455917'. The poster is 20" x 14".  A web search indicates that the government printed a series of such posters with photos of men from allied nations such as Russian, Dutch, Chinese, English, Canadian, etc.

We French workers warn you . . .

French workers with hands up indicating surrender.  Quelle surprise.

Another classic image by Ben Shahn.  Workers, with hands up, in front of a Vichy, France Decree.  This is also considered an iconic poster, and is in the MoMa collection.  28" x 40".  U.S. Government Printing Office 1942-O-491777.

This is Nazi brutality

A powerful reminder

A grim poster by Ben Shahn.  It relays the horror of Lidice.  Lidice was a Czech mining village that was obliterated by the Nazis in retaliation for the 1942 shooting of a Nazi official by two Czechs. All men of the village were killed in a 10-hour massacre; the women and children were sent to concentration camps. The destruction of Lidice became a symbol for the brutality of Nazi occupation during World War II. This poster is 38" x 28" and is one of the more famous propaganda posters from that period.

Map of Europe published by Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, 1912

Who wants to be friends with Japan?

This map is a bit outside the norm for this collection.  It is a map of Europe published by a Japanese newspaper company in 1912.  The map is coded to demonstrate which countries are allied with Japan, which countries are neutral, and which countries are potential enemies.  The map also notes military installations throughout Europe.

I can only assume that my dad picked up this map when he was stationed in Korea after the war.  It was not stored with the other posters.  

It is in fair condition, with some fraying at the edges and pin marks where it was most likely tacked to a wall.

Request for Comments and Information

If you have found this blog because you are interested in WWII Propaganda Posters, welcome!  I encourage you to share any information you have about any of the posters, or point me to sources on the internet that are useful for finding out more about these wonderful works of art.

Please leave your comment and share your knowledge.

Thanks for reading!

New Storage Method

An upgrade from the paper bag.

The beginning of this blog illustrated the previous storage method utilized for the posters.  This photo demonstrates the poster's new home.  As shown, each poster is now in its own inert plastic sleeve, and the box is an acid free archival box.  The green post-it note is a temporary number holder that corresponds with the index.  I hope this will preserve the posters properly for many years to come.  And the creation of a photo-index will prevent any need to go through the posters, unfold them, or handle them to determine what posters are in the collection and where they are located.

If you tell where he's going . . . He may never get there!

So long, Sailor

A member of the U.S. Navy, duffel of belongings over his shoulder, heads off to war.  This poster from 1943 is 28" x 20" and was drawn by John Falter, USNR.

. . . and WE talk about sacrifice

Ruined villages were an all too common occurrence.

This poster is from 1943 and is 28" x 20".  I think the woman is from somewhere in Eastern Europe, and her village is a smoky ruin behind her.  By 1943 Eastern Europe had been at war for four years and the civilian populations suffered tremendously.  The message here, obviously, is that buying a War Bond is a small sacrifice compared to what the war has cost her and those like her.  I have seen this image used for other country's fundraising efforts, too, like this example from the UK.

The artwork is by Roger Coulliard (best known for his work with the Canadian Pacific railway) and I can't find a biography of the artist to link.

UNITED we are strong / UNITED we will win

A 21 Flag salute

This poster is marked as OWI # 64 from 1943.  It is 28" x 20".  The artwork is by Henry Koerner, and depicts artillery barrels firing in unison with the identifying flags of the allied countries.

WARNING: The sharp ears of Enemy Agents are always listening

Right to the point

This is the first of may Canadian posters included in the collection.  Like many of the posters from the USA, this poster implores Canadian citizens to keep any and all information that may be useful to the enemy to themselves.  You never know who might be listening.  The poster is 30" x 20" and I was unable to determine the year of publication, or much more information about it.

. . . because somebody talked!

That is one sad Cocker Spaniel

Another poster encouraging Americans to keep any information about the war to themselves.  Families with members serving in the Armed Forces displayed a banner as above with a blue star.  If that family member was killed, the banner displayed a gold star.  In this 1944 poster by Wesley Heyman (there is not much information out there about Mr. Heyman) a dog rests on the navy collar of a serviceman killed in action.  The poster is 20" x 14".

Americans Suffer when careless talk kills!

The man's stare really captures his anger.

This 1943 poster by Harry Anderson is to encourage Americans to keep any information about the war to themselves.  Like War Bonds, this 'secrecy' theme is very common with these posters.  The poster measures 20" x 14".

I'm Counting On You!

Uncle Sam says, "Shhhhh."

This poster is also small.  10.5" x 7.5".  So approximately the size of a normal piece of paper.  It is noted as OWI Poster # 78 and is from 1943.  Uncle Sam holds his index finger to his lips, requesting silence.  There are two in this collection.  Artist is noted as Leon Helguera.

The United Nations Fight For Freedom (2)

Planes, ships and tanks move forward.

This poster from 1943 is of the smaller size, 10.5" x 7.5".  I think I have a larger version somewhere in the pile.  I'll have to wait and see what turns up as I make my way through the posters.  It is part of the series of posters emphasizing the many nations fighting alongside the United States.  The artist is Leslie Ragan.

As the photo shows, somehow this poster was bent / folded in the upper right hand corner.  Other than that it is in good shape.

F.D.R. Quote

FDR was not afraid of a little rhetorical repetition.

There is not much to say about this poster.  It is a lovely, deep blue, and measures 14" x 20".  It is noted as OWI # 40 and is taken from FDR's message to Congress on 07JAN1943.

The United Nations Fight For Freedom

Lady Liberty with the flags of many nations.

So far I have found two of this poster in the collection.  The poster is quite large, measuring 40" x 28".  It is officially noted as OWI Poster # 19 and is from 1942.  I read somewhere, and made a note, that the artist is 'Broder.'  The poster is an etching of the Statue of Liberty on a black background on the left side of the poster. On the right there are pictures of flags of 30 countries. Poster has black background with white text at the top of the page and a white border all around.

Back 'Em Up. Buy Extra Bonds

Dwight D. Eisenhower, before getting his 5th star.

This poster is from 1944, and measures 28" x 20".  It is one of many posters encouraging people to buy more War Bonds.  In fact, War Bonds will be a theme we see a lot with these posters.

Give it your best!

American flag and encouragement for American workers.

This is a very straightforward poster.  It is from 1942 and measures 20" x 28".  The main image is a 48 star flag. The lower right corner reads, "Office of War Information, Poster No. 9, Washington, D.C." And in small print beneath that, "U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-0-488228."

AUSTRALIA: Animals

Some of the animals unique to Australia.

I was not able to find out much about this poster.  It was published by the Australian News and Information Bureau, 610 Fifth Ave., New York 20, N.Y.  Compared to the other Australia travel posters, it is not nearly as colorful or, frankly, interesting.  It is slightly smaller, too, at 37" x 24".  The animals depicted (starting top left and going clockwise) are the cockatoo, opossum, bookaburra, kangaroo, koala, emu, goanna, platypus, and lyre bird.  It completes the set along with the other two, and so was framed and hung alongside.

AUSTRALIA: Australian Parrots

Colorful poster of some of Australia's many parrots

This is another poster from the Australian National Travel Association.  It is 40" x 25", and as can be seen, full of vibrant colors.  The artist commissioned for this work is James Northfield.  This made a great companion piece to the 'Tallest Trees' poster, and I framed both and hung them together.  

AUSTRALIA: The Tallest Trees in the British Empire - Marysville Victoria

Australian travel poster

This is not a war propaganda poster, but it was in the bag, and I seem to be starting with posters from Australia, so I'm including it here.  The poster is quite large, 40" x 25".  The artist is Percy Trompf.  Sadly, Marysville, Victoria was heavily damaged from a forest fire in 2009.  Along with some other Australian posters, this poster was framed and hung.

Do a Worthwhile job. Join the Australian Army Medical Women's Service

Australian poster encouraging women to join the Army Medical Service.

Another recruiting poster from Australia requesting women to assist in the war effort.  This poster is 9.5" x 14.25".  The artist is Napier Waller.  

Release A Man - - Join the - A.W.A.S.

Australian Women's Army Service recruiting poster

This poster is actually quite small.  10" x 7".  It is from Australia and is self explanatory.

Picturing The Posters - Some Notes

The rest of the posts will be a photo of each poster, whatever information I could find out about the poster using some quick google searches.  Some notes are appropriate here.

These posters are all vintage / original.  They have been folded and stored for 70+ years.  So when I unfolded each for a photograph I did not try to flatten them completely and 'iron out' the fold marks.  I wanted to be as gentle as possible with the posters, and folded them back up immediately when finished making the image.  The posters were folded originally, as they were mailed to the recipients, so I prefer to leave them in that state.  If you are interested in better images there are photos on other websites that are professionally done.

The posters are not for sale.

Since starting my research I've found that there is a lot of information about these posters on the internet, though certainly some posters have much more information than others.  If I reference information might be subject to copyright, or I consider to be original or insightful, I will link to the source.  Other information is simply factual and in those cases I will not link.

So . . . Lets get started, shall we?

Ordering the supplies

After some poking around on-line and some comparison shopping I was finally able to place my order for the storage materials. I had to order from two websites. The main website was Bags Unlimited, Inc. They have a lot of different materials for storing different items such as photos, documents, etc. So from Bags Unlimited I ordered 100 polyethylene bags that will fit the bulk of the collection. I noticed when I was checking out that I was just under the limit for free shipping, so I also included in the order 2 Archive Boxes to place the completed project in when I am done. This brought the order up to about $50, but I needed the boxes anyway, and that made the shipping free.

There were still 5 odd sized posters that needed sleeves, and Bags Unlimited had much higher minimum order sizes. Also, Bags Unlimited did not have a size that was at all close to what I needed. So I found another vendor of such material, Atlantic Protective Pouches, that allowed me to order 5 bags for $16 that will fit the 5 posters of unusual size. These are actually Mylar, so a bit more expensive on a per unit basis, but overall, less expensive than buying a bunch of bags I don’t need.

All told, the storage materials will run me about $70.00. That is not too bad for storing about 80 posters properly.

Here are the supplies, unpacked from the shipping box:

Protective sleeves and storgage boxes.

Sorting and Counting the Posters

The bag was about ⅓ to ½ full of posters of various sizes. I decided to arrange them into a few common sizes (folded) so that I could order the correct number of protective envelops and other materials.

After emptying the bag I tried to figure out what it contained.

I then began putting the posters in piles.  As it was my plan to eventually place each item in its own protective sleeve I needed to know the quantities of the different sizes of the folded posters.

Posters in piles.  Included is the postcard my Dad sent to the government requesting the posters.

Not posters, but other odds and ends from the bag.

After a lot of sorting, piling, and arranging I finally had a manageable number of poster piles.

All the posters in stacks according to their dimensions when folded.

I was now ready to place my order with the various suppliers or archival / storage products.