World War I poster collection
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Abstract
Collection of posters, pictorial sheets, and related ephemera, 1914-1920, used by governments and organizations during World War I to persuade citizens to enlist in various branches of the armed services, buy bonds, conserve food and fuel, provide relief, and generally support the war effort
Historical Note
Posters were an established means of communication well before World War I, and although traditional media were also used, the unrivalled ability of posters to communicate quickly and memorably allowed governments and organizations to persuade and inform the public on matters of public policy and mobilize the home front. Posters were used for recruiting, fund-raising, to bolster support, to encourage industrial output, and to support a variety of relief efforts. Patriotism and a sense of duty were captured in visual metaphor by a variety of popular graphic artists.
In the United States, poster campaigns were especially well supported, popular, and extensive during the first World War. Many prominent American illustrators donated their services to the federal government under the auspices of the Division of Pictorial Publicity, through the leadership of Charles Dana Gibson. Illustrators used a wide range of styles, from iconic images and historical art references to glamour girls and cartoons.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized by subject in the following series:
Series I: Recruitment
Series II: Monetary Appeals
Series III: Patriotic Appeals
Series IV: Conservation Appeals
Series V: Relief Appeals
Series VI: Organizational
Series VII: Miscellaneous
Scope and Contents Note
The World War I Poster File, which forms part of the larger Poster File (PR-055), dates from circa 1914 to 1920, and consists of posters, pictorial sheets and related ephemera used by governments and organizations during the first World War to persuade citizens to enlist in various branches of the armed service, buy bonds, conserve food and fuel, provide relief, and generally support the war and aid efforts. Included in the collection is Montgomery Flagg's famous "I Want You" poster; also included are posters by Howard Chandler Christy, Alonzo Earl Foringer, Wladyslaw T. Benda, Fortunino Matania, Charles Dana Gibson, and Joseph Pennell. This series of the Poster File is divided into seven subseries: Recruitment, Monetary Appeals, Patriotic Appeals, Conservation Appeals, Relief Appeals, Organizational, and Miscellaneous.
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Access to Collection
For more information on making arrangements to consult the collection, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Access Restrictions
For more information on making arrangements to consult the collection, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation Note
This collection should be cited as Poster File, PR-055, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, the New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was compiled by New-York Historical Society over time from a variety of purchases and gifts.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Collection processed by N-YHS staff circa 2000. A database of poster detail was migrated to Archivists Toolkit by Jennifer Gargiulo in 2016 to produce an online finding aid. That was later migrated to ArchivesSpace to produce this form of finding aid.