WAR POSTERS OF THE 20th CENTURY

[ World War I | World War II: American | British | French ]

[ Circus & Travel posters | Advertising posters ]

WORLD WAR I

• Gerrit A. Beneker. Sure We'll Finish The Job. Victory Liberty Loan. 1918. 36 1/4 x 24 1/2. Chromolithograph. [American worker with hand in his pocket to contribute money towards the war effort]. Framed. $650

• Arnold Genthe. (1869-1942) The Roll Call. A Masque of The Red Cross. By Percy Mac Kaye. 31 1/2 x 18 3/4. Holes in corners. [Woman in white robe reaching for The Red Cross]. $650

• P.G. Morgan. Keep this Hand of Mercy at its work. War Fund Week. One Hundred Million Dollars. [Second War Fund]. Ca. 1918. 27 3/8 x 20 1/2 (sheet). Crease in bottom right hand corner of image with a few small minor chips in margin right hand side. $200

• M. Richard-Gutz. Souscrivez pour la Victoire. Banque Nationale de Crédit. Paris: 1916. Lithograph printed by Devambez. Poster glued to backing board with many mounting wrinkles. Browning in margins with some stains. Framed in modern metal frame (31 x 44). Sold as is. $350

• Buy Liberty Bonds -- "That Government of the People, by the People, for the People Shall not Perish form the Earth" A. Lincoln Artist unknown. Printed by the American Lithographic Co. 30 x 20. Excellent condition. $295

  
  
  

  

  
  

  WORLD WAR II

  [ American | British | French ]

  AMERICAN

  All posters were printed in Washington by the United States Government Printing Office and were folded at the time for storage. Otherwise, all posters are in very good condition unless noted, and have narrow margins as issued. A description of the image is in brackets.

  Government office abbreviations used:
  OWI: Office of War Information.
  DIOEM: Division of Information Office for Emergency Management
  WPB: War Production Board.

  
  John Atherton. "Buy a Share in America. United States Defense Bonds." 1941. 13 x 9 1/4. Backed with linen. [Hand shake of Uncle Sam and citizen with image of a factory in background] $175

  McClelland Barclay.

  • "Bundles For Bluejackets." No date. 22 x 14. On thin board. [Sailor holding gun shell on deck of ship] $200

  Dean Cornwell. (1892-1960).
  • Victory-now you can invest in it! Victory Loan. 1945. 13 x 9. [Bald Eagle on top of pile of Bond notes with red, white and blue in the background intersected by search light and stars]. $125

  Albert Dorne. All Fuel is Scarce. Plan for Winter Now! 1945. 26 1/2 x 18. [Man looking out wintry window at thermometer]. $250

  Anton Otto Fischer. (1882-1962).

  • A Careless Word... A Needless Sinking. 1942. 37 x 28 1/4. Color photo-offset. OWI #24. Folded in 16ths as issued. Repaired tears in image. [Colorful and dramatic scene of a merchant crew in lifeboat in foreground with ship sinking in flames in background]. $400

  A. MERCHANT
  
  
  • "Think. Then Submit Your Good Idea. Awards for Suggestions Adopted." No publication information or date. Ca. 1942. 19 x 14 (image). Several pin holds in margin corners and just into image. Crease top right corner. Else, good condition. $75

  Norman Rockwell. (1894-1978).
  • Ours to Fight for-Save Freedom of Speech. Buy War Bonds. Washington, DC: 1943. 40 x 28 1/2. Color photo-offset. OWI#44. [Citizen standing and speaking at a town meeting]. With folds as originally issued. A number of several repaired small separations along folds at corners along with some minor wear along folds in image. Minor staining along some fold marks in margins. Loss of small triangular piece of margin right hand side. Else, fine condition. $500

  Jes Wilhelm Schlaikjer. b. 1897. The battle-wise infantryman -- is careful of what he says or writes: How about you? 1944. 28 x 20. [GI with helmet stands guard with rifle and bayonet.] $300

  Howard Scott. "Closed for the Duration. Loose Talk Can Cost Lives." 1942. 19 3/4 x 14. Backed with linen. Distributed by British and American Ambulance Corp., New York. [Two pieces of tape in form of an "X" over a man's mouth] $125

  Amos Sewell. For a Secure Future. Buy War Bonds. US Treasury: 1945. 27 x 19. [Farmer holding bonds in one hand and farm and family in other]. $275

  Shepard. The Spirit of Freedom. No date. 10 1/4 x 10. Creases lower right corner. Faint water stain in sky. [pilgrim settlement with a face of pilgrim woman in sky]. $75

  Lyman Simpson. For Liberty and Peace on Earth. Give War Bonds. 1944. 24 x 19. [Image of Liberty Bell with paper Christmas bells, war bond and holly]. $200

  Robert Sloan. (b. 1915).

  • Doing All You Can, Brother? - Buy War Bonds. 1943. 40 x 28 3/8. Color photo-offset. [Head and shoulders view of Army lieutenant with bloody bandaged head; stormy desolate battlefield in background]. $450

    
    

  Adolph Triedler. Care is Costly. Buy and Hold War Bonds. 1945. 13 x 9. [tired and bandaged US soldier sitting on the ground]. $125

  Jon Whitcomb. Be a cadet nurse: the girl with a future. 1944. 28 x 20. Repaired tears along folds. [Graphic image of two attractive cadet nurses, one in military dress uniform.] $225

  PHILCO posters:
  Artist and publisher unknown. Most likely published in-house by Philco between 1941-1945. 22 x 17 on poster board as issued. Silk screen with some color and tape overlay. Some with spotting and staining as to be expected. Otherwise, very good condition.

  Philco Philadelphia Storage Battery Company was a pioneer in early battery, radio and television production. The company began in 1906 making batteries for electric vehicles and ventured into the radio business for home and automobiles. After the war Ford bought the company to make car radios and many other products. During World War II Philco manufactured radios and munitions for the military and helped develop radar and the proximity fuse for artillery shells. These posters were probably posted in the factories to foster morale and to remind and to stress to employees the importance of maintaining the quality of their products. Throughout the history of printing, broadsides and posters supporting a country's military aims have been made and displayed whenever war broke out. World War II was no exception, and the many bright images printed in the United States in the 1940s illustrate the importance of these psychological icons. These dramatic posters, issued by Philco, are excellent examples of the genre.

  • "Mistakes Cost More than Dough. Maintain Philco Quality." [image of a dead soldier with an example of a Philco radio in foreground]. $375
  • "Stop Him with Philco Quality." [image of a Japanese soldier aiming a rifle]. Small losses of printed surface along left edge. $400
  • "Philco Quality." [image of an airman carrying a Philco radio to a B-29 named Toyko Limited]. Production Illustration. Industrial Engineering Dept. $425

  
  

  Unattributed
  • "Triumph over Tyranny. Buy War Bonds." Washington: Government Printing Office, 1942. 60 x 40. With folds as issued. Three inch chip in upper left hand corner of image replaced with several expertly repaired tears and small holes along folds. $450

  • "You Too Can Fight - by Giving. United War Chest January 24 February 10." No date. 20 1/4 x 13. [US combat soldier] $95

  • Enlist in a Proud Profession . . . Join the US Cadet Nurse Corps. US Public Health Federal Security Agency: 1943. 26 1/2 x 19. $175

  • Prepare for Winter Now . . . Fuel is Scarce . . . Conserve it! 1944. 27 x19. [list of things homeowners can do to save energy]. $175

  • You are one of 50,000,000 Americans who must fill out an income tax return by March 15th. US Treasury Dept. 1944. 27 x 21. [image of form 1040]. $95

  • In Gratitude. Victory Loan. 23 x 33. Some holes and repaired tears along folds. [head of mother with tear on check with hands clasped in prayer]. $95

  • U.S. War Bonds. With title in Ukranian under image. 1943. 27 1/4 x 21 1/4. Repaired tears along folds. [Image of the Statue of Liberty]. $250

BRITISH

• Harold Pym. "Mightier Yet! Britain's Mechanised Army grows stronger every day." 14 3/4 x 9 3/4. Backed with linen. Light transference of stamp from verso. [British tank] $75

  
  Unattributed

• "Careless Talk Costs Lives. What I know-I Keep to myself." 14 3/4 x 9 3/4. Backed with linen. Stamped on verso before linen backing was applied: "British Library of Information/ 620 - 5th Avenue/ New York" slightly visible on recto along jawline at left. [Man in cap winking to viewer]. $75

• "Fill That Gap. The Government needs men to train for important armament work!" 14 3/4 x 9 3/4. Backed with linen. $40

• "Careless Talk May Cost His Life. Don't Talk about Aerodromes or aircraft factories." 19 3/4 x 13. Backed with linen. [Smiling British airman] $125

• "Ports are Often bombed when Convoys are in Because Somebody Talked. Never Mention arrivals, Sailings, Cargoes, or destinations to anybody." 19 3/4 x 13 1/4. Slight crease in image. [Firemen in harbor putting out fires with H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth in background] $175

• "Watch your talk for his sake... Never Mention arrivals, sailings, cargoes, or destinations to anybody." Backed with linen. 19 3/4 x 13 1/4. With old folds [b/w photo of man in crows nest] $125

FRENCH

• Claude Lemeunier? "Noël Aux Armées. Ils n'ont pas de cheminée-- Faites que le 'Père Noël' ne les oublie pas!" 1939. 15 3/4 x 21. Backed with linen. [Pair of soldier's boots on a snowy battle field.] $225

  
  

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©The Philadelphia Print Shop Last updated July 14, 2021