Photograph, Trail End State Historic Site - 2003 (Trail End Collection)Photograph, Trail End State Historic Site - 2003 (Trail End Collection)W y o m i n g ' s   P r e m i e r   H i s t o r i c   H o u s e   M u s e u m

Trail End State Historic Site

400 Clarendon Ave ▪ Sheridan WY 82801 ▪ Ph 307-674-4589 ▪ Fx 307-672-1720

Home About Trail End Site Contents Visiting Trail End Trail End Facilities Kendrick Family Trail End Guilds Educational Resources Articles Exhibits Research Links & Resources

 

You Are Here: Home > Trail End Exhibits > Keeping the Home Fires Burning > Poster Art of World War One

Poster Art of World War One

Call to Action | Military Service | United War Work Campaign | American Red Cross | Charitable Funds

Liberty Bonds | War Savings Stamps | Industry & Agriculture | Conservation & Rationing | Children's Contributions

Posters proclaiming the third Liberty Loan in striking phrases and colorful designs - 9,400,000 of them in more than a dozen styles - are being distributed to every city and hamlet of the United States. They are the silent sales agents of the bonds and their preparation has taken months of planning and careful choosing. The country's foremost artists and designers were invited to go to work on the posters. ... The result is a collection of striking posters, considered artistically and psychologically better than any yet attempted. ... Soon they will be familiar sights in store windows, on billboards, and all public places.

New York Times, 1918

 

Poster, I Want You - 1917 (Private Collection)Hundreds - if not thousands - of posters were created during World War One. Some were used for military recruitment, others for information disbursement, still others for propaganda purposes. All were intended to spear the American public towards action.

Several of these posters have become a part of the American memory. James Montgomery Flagg's poster of Uncle Sam pointing his finger and saying "I Want You for the U. S. Army" is one such iconic image. First adopted as a military poster in 1917, this poster of Uncle Sam is perhaps one of the most recognizable images of the First World War.

The psychological impact of the war poster was of prime importance. Some inspired fear or anxiety, others guilt or shame, still others patriotism, responsibility, longing, faith, pride, desire, inspiration - any number of emotions.

Nearly every organization printed up some sort of poster, from church groups and hospitals to cigarette manufacturers and biscuit makers. The Liberty Loan posters were especially successful, as were those distributed by the American Red Cross and the United States Food Administration. The Liberty Loan posters inspired people to contribute financially to the cost of the war; the Red Cross posters urged civilians to provide goods, service and money to help the soldiers and European civilians; the USFA promoted conservation of all types of food in order to help feed the troops.

back to top

Call to Action

Poster, Wake Up America - 1917 (Private Collection)

 Poster, Your Country Calls - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Wake Up America Day - 1917 (Private Collection)

back to top

Military Service
Poster, Uphold Our Honor - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Enlist - 1917 (Private Collection) Poster - It's Up To You - 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, I Want You for the Navy - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Do It Now - 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Join the Navy - circa 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, Second Artillery - circal 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Join the Air Service - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Join the Tanks - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Be a Sea Soldier - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Teufel Hunden - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Go Over With the Marines - circa 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, Motor Corps of America - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, You Drive a Car Here - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, American Field Service - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

United War Work Campaign
Poster, United We Serve - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, YMCA - 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, War Camp Community Service - circa 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Salvation Army - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, American Library Association - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, YWCA - 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, Knights of Columbus - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Jewish Welfare Board - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Give All In One Hat - 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

American Red Cross

Poster, Will You Help - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Spirit of America - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Red Cross Christmas Roll Call - 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, Men Wanted - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Hand of Mercy - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Help the Red Cross - circa 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, What Are You Doing to Help - 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Red Cross Service Flag - 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, You Can Help - circa 1917 (Private Collection)

back to top

Charitable Funds
Poster, Help the Horse - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Stage Women's War Relief - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, American Chocolate Fund - circa 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, Fatherless Children of France - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Serbia Needs Your Help - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Starving - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, I Need Smokes - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Now For Some Music - 1917 (Private Collection)

 Poster, Books Wanted - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

Liberty Bonds

Poster, Beat Back the Hun - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Buy Liberty Bonds - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Back Him Up - circa 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, 2nd Liberty Loan - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Women Help America's Sons - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Our Daddy Is Fighting - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Halt the Hun - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Over the Top - 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, Fight or Buy Bonds - 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, Clear the Way - 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Remember Belgium - 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, That Liberty Shall Not Perish - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Americans All - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, And They Thought We Couldn't Fight - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, For Home and Country - 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

War Savings Stamps

Poster, I Am Telling You - circa 1917 (Private Collection)

Poster, They Give Their Lives - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Share in the Victory - 1919 (Private Collection)
Poster, Help Them - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Save Your Child - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Joan of Arc - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

Industry & Agriculture
Poster, We Don't Put Down Our Tools - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Teamwork Wins - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Keep 'Em Going - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Your Work Means Victory - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, On the Job for Victory - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, The Ships Are Coming - circa 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, Farm to Win - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Woman's Land Army - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Join the Land Army - 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, The Seeds of Victory - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Be a Soldier of the Soil - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Spirit of '18 - 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

Conservation & Rationing
Poster, Don't Stop Saving Food - 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Eat Less - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Poster, Eat More Fish - circa 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, Be Patriotic - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Food is Ammunition - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Save a Loaf - circa 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, Preserve - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Can the Kaiser - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Win the Next War Now - circa 1918 (Private Collection)
Poster, She Is Doing Her Part - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Don't Waste Paper - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Uncle Sam Needs That - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

back to top

Children's Contributions
Poster, Junior Red Cross - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, Little Americans - circa 1918 (Private Collection) Poster, School Garden Army - circa 1917 (Private Collection)
Poster, War Savings Stamps - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Boys Working Reserve - circa 1917 (Private Collection) Poster, Victory Girls - circa 1918 (Private Collection)

Return to Temporary Exhibits or continue to A Woman's Contribution

back to top

 

Copyright© 1995-2008 – Trail End Guilds, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Space Graciously Provided by Fiberpipe Internet Services of Sheridan & Surf Communications

Last Updated March 2008