When the United States government wanted average Americans to make personal sacrifices to support The Great War they commissioned artists to create posters to persuade them.
The mid-20th century was a time of great strife worldwide. These vintage American World War II posters from The National Archive show us how powerfully and succinctly this message was conveyed by talented artists.
There was a truly compelling reason for Americans to fight the Nazis and those horrible Axis Powers that shredded the world between 1939 and 1945. The tragic loss of life during this time in history is indeed truly appalling. The entire globe felt the burden. This is Nazi brutality.
If the terror in foreign lands wasn’t compelling enough, we were reminded that our boys were over there for us.
They’re going through hell for us โ we need to do our part!
Even our dietary habits played into it.
We needed to be reminded of what we could lose if this foe were to win.
One of the most popular and well-respected artists of the time, Norman Rockwell โโ inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 speech about theย four fundamental freedoms that people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy:
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of worship
- Freedom from want
- Freedom from fear
โโ painted four beautiful large-scale works that were used for War Bond posters.
Women were vital to the war effort. At a time when the majority of women were not in the workforce, they needed encouragement to GET A WAR JOB!
But don’t be too damn chatty, Deborah!
We’ve got to do our part to support each other. We make a difference, even in small ways like sharing a ride with friends. Because when you ride alone you ride with the enemy!
We have to stamp out evil whenever we see it. Wherever it may be. Foreign or domestic. You and I. Stamp ‘Em Out!
We Can Do It! Like “Rosie the Riveter” in this iconic and empowering World War II poster, we can accomplish so much working together for a common cause.
This was Art for a just cause.
See all of these posters and more in The National Archives Poster Art from World War II.
Which of these posters do you like the best? I’d like to know. Share this post with your friends and leave a comment below.ย