World War II Poster Collection, 1941-1945

Overview of the Collection

Title
World War II Poster Collection
Dates
1941-1945 (inclusive)
Quantity
2 cubic feet, including 295 items, (13 map folders)
Collection Number
MSS WW2Posters
Summary
The World War II Poster Collection is comprised of propaganda posters generated by United States government agencies, civilian service organizations, and foreign agencies between 1941 and 1945. The collection contains numerous posters addressing U.S. war production, war bond and stamp sales, military recruiting, civil defense, civilian wartime responsibilities, and pro-U.S. propaganda.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

World War II, the largest-scale conflict in human history, was fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy) and the Allied Forces (the British Commonwealth, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, and others) between 1939 and 1945. World War II began in September 1939 with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland and escalated as European powers joined the conflict. On December 7, 1941, Japan launched an attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In response, the United States declared war on the Axis powers and began campaigns in Europe and the Pacific. Shortly thereafter, the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, China, and their allies signed the Atlantic Charter, uniting together against the Axis. Between 1942 and 1945, the fighting expanded to encompass much of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Italy surrendered in 1943, Germany in May 1945, and Japan in August 1945. More than 60 million people died in World War II, including upwards of 40 million civilians as a result of the Nazi campaign against ethnic Jews and other targeted groups, military attacks on civilian populations in Europe, the United States' use of nuclear weapons against Japan, and war-related famine and disease.

America's involvement in World War II required immediate growth of the United States' armed forces, the conversion of peacetime industrial manufacturing to military needs, and the expansion of domestic agriculture to supply the United States' allies with food. Through a series of radio, film, and print media campaigns, the U.S. government asked young men to enlist in unprecedented numbers, encouraged women to join the workforce, and called upon citizens to enact wartime austerity measures, participate in war-related charitable work, and ultimately contribute nearly $200 billion to the war effort via goverment-issued bonds.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The World War II Poster Collection is comprised of propaganda posters generated by U.S. government agencies including the Office of War Information, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Agriculture, the Office of Facts and Figures, War Department Safety Council, Federal Security Agency, Office for Emergency Management, Office for Economic Stabilization, and the Department of the Treasury; civilian organizations including the American Red Cross, American Library Association, and the American Legion; and foreign agencies including the British Information Service, Canadian Wartime Information Board, and the New Zealand Legation. This collection features poster artwork by R.M. Chapin, John Philip Falter, James Montgomery Flagg, Norman Rockwell, Valentino Sarra, Georges Schreiber, Kenneth W. Thompson, and others. Posters in this collection address war production efforts (including worker safety and participation of women), anti-espionage measures, wartime austerity, the U.S. Treasury's War Loan campaigns, charitable efforts in support of troops and civilians, military recruiting, civil defense, and general pro-U.S. propaganda. The collection is composed of 216 unique items and 79 duplicates, totalling 295 items.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

World War II Poster Collection (MSS WW2Posters), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The World War II Poster Collection is arranged into seven series: I: Office of War Information, 1942-1943; II: United States War Bonds & Stamps, 1942-1945; III: War Production, 1941-1944; IV: Civilian Experience, 1941-1945; V: U.S. Military, 1941-1944; VI: Foreign Propaganda, 1942-1944; VII: War Maps, 1942-1945. Materials are arranged within series alphabetically according to issuing organization and by production serial number or approximate date of printing.

Acquisition Information

Many of the items in the World War II Poster Collection were acquired during World War II as part of Oregon State College's government document retention program and were housed in the Oregon State University Library maps collection with other war posters. In 1995, war posters housed by the Library were transferred to the University Archives. Shortly thereafter (in 1996), a small number of war posters that had been transferred from the Library to the Horner Museum in 1979 were also acquired by the University Archives. These two accessions comprised the University Archives' War Poster Collection. The World War II posters were separated in 2014 to form the World War II Poster Collection, which now resides in Oregon State University's Special Collections & Archives Research Center.

Related Materials

Related Materials

Other collections with materials related to World War II include the Wesley Ross Memoir of World War II (MSS RossW), the Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records (MSS OSCWW2), the Oregon State Yank Collection (MSS Yank), the Oregon State University Military Photographs Collection (P 002), the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers (MSS Pauling), and the History of Atomic Energy Collection (RB Energy). Other collections featuring war propaganda include the World War I Poster Collection (MSS WW1Posters) and the World War II Newsmaps (MAPS Newsmap).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  Office of War Information Posters, 1942-1943Return to Top

69 posters

This series is comprised of posters created by the United States Office of War Information between 1942 and 1943. The OWI was created in June 1942 with the express purpose of relaying wartime information and propaganda to the American public via radio, newspapers, films, and posters. OWI posters in this series address austerity measures, enemy espionage, women in the labor force, and wartime health and nutrition. The series also includes pro-war propaganda and informational posters. Materials are arranged according to their OWI serial number.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
1.1
Books cannot be / killed by fire. / [...] / books are weapons in the war of ideas
Backed with linen. ; 51 x 71 cm.
A giant book with a quotation from Franklin D. Roosevelt inscribed on its cover. At its foot are Nazis lighting bonfires in an attempt to burn it and other books.
Accessioned May 21, 1942.
1942
1.2
Strong in the strength of the Lord / we who fight in the people's cause / will never stop until that cause is won
71 x 102 cm.
The arm of an industrial worker holding a monkey wrench, a soldier holding a rifle, and a worker holding a curved wrench.
1942
1.3
Give it your best!
51 x 72 cm.
A full-color American flag with the poster text in black below.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1942
1.4
Give it your best!
51 x 72 cm.
A full-color American flag with the poster text in black below.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
1.5
"Having seen the quality of the work / and workers on our production / lines..."
72 x 102 cm.
A photograph of President Franklin Roosevelt with soldiers.
Accessioned December 10, 1942.
1942
1.6
...we here highly resolve that these dead / shall not have died in vain... / remember Dec. 7th!
71 x 102 cm.
A tattered American flag waving in front of a column of smoke.
Ida M. Matsen
1942
1.7
Someone / talked!
71 x 101 cm.
A drowning sailor pointing a finger at the reader.
Accessioned February 1, 1943
1942
1.8
The United Nations fight for freedom
56 x 71 cm.
The flags of thirty nations next to the Statue of Liberty.
Accessioned February 1, 1943.
1942
1.9
The United Nations fight for freedom
; 56 x 71 cm.
The flags of thirty nations next to the Statue of Liberty.
1942
1.10
They've got more important / places to go than you!... / save rubber / check your tires now
73 x 102 cm.
Four soldiers driving in an Army Jeep.
Accessioned May 20, 1943
1942
13.1
Become a nurse / your country needs you
18 x 28 cm.
A young woman having a nurse's cap placed on her head.
Accessioned May 20, 1943.
1942
1.11
Become a nurse / your country needs you
; 56 x 71 cm.
A young woman having a nurse's cap placed on her head.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1942
1.12
I need your skill / in a war job!
56 x 71 cm.
Uncle Sam pointing at the reader.
Accessioned March 17, 1944
1943
1.13
I need your skill / in a war job!
72 x 102 cm.
Uncle Sam pointing at the reader.
Accessioned June 20, 1944
1943
1.14
1778 1943 / Americans / will always fight for liberty
56 x 71 cm.
World War II soldiers marching past a line of Revolutionary War era soldiers.
1943
1.15
1778 1943 / Americans / will always fight for liberty
56 x 71
World War II soldiers marching past a line of Revolutionary War era soldiers.
1943
1.16
1778 1943 / Americans / will always fight for liberty
; 72 x 101 cm.
World War II soldiers marching past a line of Revolutionary War era soldiers.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
1.17
Doctors are scarce / one out of three has gone to war / be prepared / for minor injury / for minor illness / learn first aid / & home nursing
56 x 71 cm.
Red and black text on a red and white background with the Office of Civil Defense and American Red Cross emblems.
1943
1.18
Doctors are scarce / one out of three has gone to war / be prepared / for minor injury / for minor illness / learn first aid / & home nursing
56 x 71 cm.
Red and black text on a red and white background with the Office of Civil Defense and American Red Cross emblems.
1943
1.19
I'll carry mine too! / trucks and tires must last till victory
; 56 x 71 cm.
A woman carrying packages and groceries as soldiers march in the background.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1943
1.20
I'll carry mine too! / trucks and tires must last till victory
; 56 x 71 cm.
A woman carrying packages and groceries as soldiers march in the background.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
1.21
Guard /your family's / health! / learn about the new wartime foods in a / nutrition class
56 x 71 cm.
White text in a red circle and black and red text on a white background.
Accessioned March 24, 1944.
1943
1.22
Give more books / victory book campaign / give good books
Encapsulated. ; 36 x 56 cm.
A hand holding open a book featuring a soldier and the American flag.
1943
1.23
Give more books / victory book campaign / give good books
Backed with linen. ; 36 x 56 cm.
A hand holding open a book featuring a soldier and the American flag.
Accessioned May 21, 1943.
1943
2.1
Give more books / victory book campaign / give good books
36 x 56 cm.
A hand holding open a book featuring a soldier and the American flag.
1943
2.2
Give more books / victory book campaign / give good books
Encapsulated. ; 36 x 56 cm.
A hand holding open a book featuring a soldier and the American flag.
Accessioned May 21, 1943.
1943
2.3
Give more books / victory book campaign / give good books
Encapsulated. ; 36 x 56 cm.
A hand holding open a book featuring a soldier and the American flag.
Accessioned May 21, 1943.
1943
2.4
Plant a victory garden / our food / is fighting / a garden will make your rations go further
56 x 71 cm.
Two adults and a child working in a garden.
Accessioned April 29, 1944.
1943
2.5
Where our men are fighting / our food is fighting / buy wisely - cook carefully - store carefully - use leftovers
; 56 x 71 cm.
A crate parachuting through the air near paratroopers.
Accessioned April 8, 1943.
1943
2.6
Where our men are fighting / our food is fighting / buy wisely - cook carefully - store carefully - use leftovers
56 x 71 cm.
A crate parachuting through the air near paratroopers.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1943
2.7
A careless word... / a needless loss
72 x 102 cm.
A sailor's body in the surf.
1943
2.8
Do with less- / so they'll have / enough! / rationing gives you your fair share
56 x 71 cm.
A soldier holding up a tin cup and smiling.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1943
2.9
Use it up - wear it out - / make it do! / our labor and our goods are fighting
56 x 72 cm.
A woman patching a man's pants as he repairs a reel mower.
Accessioned April 29, 1944.
1943
2.10
...the state of this nation is good / the heart of this nation is sound / the spirit of this nation is strong / the faith of this nation is eternal. / Franklin D. Roosevelt
51 x 36 cm.
A quotation from Roosevelt's message to Congress dated January 7, 1943.
Accessioned May 20, 1943.
1943
2.11
The five Sullivan brothers / "missing in action" off the Solomons / they did their part
56 x 71 cm.
A photograph of the five Sullivan brothers together.
1943
2.12
The five Sullivan brothers / "missing in action" off the Solomons / they did their part
; 56 x 71 cm.
A photograph of the five Sullivan brothers together.
1943
2.13
The five Sullivan brothers / "missing in action" off the Solomons / they did their part
; 56 x 71 cm.
A photograph of the five Sullivan brothers together.
1943
2.14
Save freedom of worship / each according to the dictates / of his own conscience / buy war bonds
51 x 71 cm.
A group of people praying.
1943
2.15
Save freedom of worship / each according to the dictates / of his own conscience / buy war bonds
; 51 x 71 cm.
A group of people praying.
1943
2.16
Save freedom of worship / each according to the dictates / of his own conscience / buy war bonds
72 x 102 cm.
A group of people praying.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
2.17
Save freedom of speech / buy war bonds
51 x 71 cm.
A man speaking in a crowd.
1943
2.18
Save freedom of speech / buy war bonds
51 x 71 cm.
A man speaking in a crowd.
1943
2.19
Save freedom of speech / buy war bonds
72 x 102 cm.
A man speaking in a crowd.
1943
2.20
Ours...to fight for / freedom from want
51 x 71 cm.
A family at a holiday meal.
1943
2.21
Ours...to fight for / freedom from want
51 x 71 cm.
A family at a holiday meal.
1943
2.22
Ours...to fight for / freedom from fear
51 x 71 cm.
A mother and father putting two young children to bed. Image from the Saturday Evening Post.
Accessioned May 28, 1943.
1943
2.23
Ours...to fight for / freedom from fear
51 x 71 cm.
A mother and father putting two young children to bed. Image from the Saturday Evening Post.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
3.1
Ours...to fight for / freedom from fear
72 x 102 cm.
A mother and father putting two young children to bed. Image from the Saturday Evening Post.
1943
3.2
Ours...to fight for / freedom of speech / freedom of worship / freedom from want / freedom from fear
72 x 102 cm.
Four individual Norman Rockwell paintings: a man speaking in a crowd; a group of people praying; a family at a holiday meal; a mother and father putting two young children to bed.
1943
3.3
The Atlantic Charter
51 x 71 cm.
The text of the Atlantic Charter signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill on August 14, 1941.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
3.4
The more women at work / the sooner we win!
36 x 56 cm.
Woman assembling a B-17 bomber nose canopy accompanied by text directing women to the U.S. Employment Service.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
3.5
"We'll have lots to eat this / winter, won't we Mother?" / grow your own / can your own
41 x 57 cm.
A mother and daughter canning vegetables.
Accessioned April 29, 1944.
1943
3.6
"We'll have lots to eat this / winter, won't we Mother?" / grow your own / can your own
41 x 57 cm.
A mother and daughter canning vegetables.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
3.7
Food is a weapon / don't waste it! / buy wisely - cook carefully - eat it all / follow the national wartime nutrition program
41 x 57 cm.
An empty glass and a plate containing only clean poultry bones.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
3.8
Work on a farm... / this summer / join the U.S. Crop Corps
51 x 71 cm.
A young man and woman stand together, both dressed in coveralls. He holds a pitchfork and she carries a basket of vegetables.
1943
3.9
We have just begun / to fight! / Pearl Harbor / Bataan / Coral Sea / Midway / Guadalcanal / New Guinea / Bismarck Sea / Casablanca / Algiers / Tunisia
51 x 71 cm.
A soldier gesturing forward and carrying a rifle with bayonet.
1943
3.10
We have just begun / to fight! / Pearl Harbor / Bataan / Coral Sea / Midway / Guadalcanal / New Guinea / Bismarck Sea / Casablanca / Algiers / Tunisia
72 x 102 cm.
A soldier gesturing forward and carrying a rifle with bayonet.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1943
3.11
Save waste fats for explosives / take them to your meat dealer
51 x 71 cm.
Pan of grease being poured into an explosion from which rockets are being propelled.
1943
3.12
Save waste fats for explosives / take them to your meat dealer
; 51 x 71 cm.
Pan of grease being poured into an explosion from which rockets are being propelled.
1943
3.13
United / we are strong / united we will win
51 x 71 cm.
Cannons wrapped in the flags of the allies fire simultaneously into the sky.
1943
3.14
United / we are strong / united we will win
101 x 143 cm.
Cannons wrapped in the flags of the allies fire simultaneously into the sky.
1943
3.15
Is your / trip necessary? / needless travel / interferes with the war effort
51 x 71 cm.
Photograph of a crowded train car.
1943
3.16
"No loyal citizen of the United States should be denied / the democratic right to exercise the responsibilities of his citizenship [...]
51 x 71 cm.
Quotation from a statement from President Franklin D. Roosevelt given on February 1, 1943.
1943
3.17
This is the enemy
51 x 71 cm.
A hand, with a jacket cuff emblazoned with a swastika, driving a dagger through a Bible.
1943
3.18
United / the united nations fight for freedom
51 x 71 cm.
The flags of the Allies flying over tanks, battleships, and aircraft.
1943
3.19
United / the united nations fight for freedom
; 51 x 71 cm.
The flags of the Allies flying over tanks, battleships, and aircraft.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
3.20
To all / who use libraries / this is our war
36 x 51 cm.
Poster contains a message from the Office of War Information
Accessioned November 21, 1942
1942
3.21
If you tell where / he's going... / he may never / get there!
51 x 71 cm.
A sailor carrying a large bundle bound in rope.
Accessioned June 19, 1944.
1943
3.22
How to keep warm / with less fuel this winter / [...] / act now...while men and / materials are available
51 x 71 cm.
A black, white, and red image of men winterizing a home accompanied by instructions for winterizing.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942

Series II:  United States War Bonds & Stamps, 1942-1945Return to Top

53 posters

Series II is composed of posters promoting the sale of U.S. war bonds and stamps. The majority of posters were created by the United States Department of the Treasury and correspond to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th War Loan campaigns. Materials are arranged according to their U.S. Department of the Treasury serial number.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
4.1
We can... / we will... / we must! / ...Franklin D. Roosevelt / buy U.S. war savings bonds & stamps now
; 52 x 28 cm.
A waving American flag.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
4.2
We can... / we will... / we must! / ...Franklin D. Roosevelt / buy U.S. war savings bonds & stamps now
52 x 28 cm.
A waving American flag.
Accessioned May August 3, 1943.
1942
4.3
"Even a little / can help a lot - now" / buy / U.S. war stamps & bonds
36 x 51 cm.
A mother and daughter placing war stamps in stamp books.
Ida M. Matsen
1942
4.4
Back the attack! / buy war bonds / 3rd war loan
; 51 x 71 cm.
A soldier carrying a submachine gun with paratroopers in the background.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
4.5
Back the attack! / buy war bonds / 3rd war loan
72 x 101 cm.
A soldier carrying a submachine gun with paratroopers in the background.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
13.2
They're fighting / harder than ever / are you buying / more war bonds than ever?
25 x 35 cm.
Soldiers charging through water.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
13.3
...And we talk about sacrifice / buy war bonds
25 x 35 cm.
A woman weeping in front of the remains of a burned house.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
4.6
Give / war / bonds / the present with a future
51 x 71 cm.
A Christmas tree decorated in war bonds and flowers and surrounded by wrapped packages.
Accessioned December 16, 1943.
1943
4.7
Let 'em have it / buy / extra bonds
; 51 x 71 cm.
A stylized depiction of a soldier lobbing a grenade over barbwire accompanied by a 4th War Loan emblem.
Accessioned February 8, 1944.
1943
4.8
Back 'em up! / buy extra bonds
51 x 71 cm.
Photograph of Dwight D. Eisenhower performing a salute.
Ida M. Matsen.
1944
4.9
To have / and to hold! / war bonds
72 x 102
Soldier waving a flag.
Ida M. Matsen
1944
4.10
Buy bonds / for him! / let's all keep backing the attack
; 51 x 71 cm.
A plow with a service flag hanging from one handle.
Ida M. Matsen.
1944
4.11
To have and to hold- / buy war bonds
72 x 102 cm.
Portrait of a young girl.
Ida M. Matsen
1944
4.12
Fire away! / buy extra bonds
51 x 71 cm.
Two Navy crewmen aboard a ship in rough seas. The poster is labeled "In Memory U.S.S. 'Dorado'" and includes the 5th War Loan emblem.
Accessioned June 20, 1944.
1944
4.13
Fire away! / buy extra bonds
51 x 71 cm.
Two Navy crewmen aboard a ship in rough seas. The poster is labeled "In Memory U.S.S. 'Dorado'" and includes the 5th War Loan emblem.
Ida M. Matsen
1944
4.14
Back 'em up / buy extra bonds
51 x 71 cm.
Image of Dwight D. Eisenhower holding binoculars and a map. Urban rubble, tanks, and aircraft can be seen in the background.
Ida M. Matsen.
1944
4.15
Buy that invasion bond!
71 x 51 cm.
Soldiers storming a beach.
1944
4.16
Buy that invasion bond!
71 x 51 cm.
Soldiers storming a beach.
1944
4.17
The sky's the limit! / keep buying war bonds.
51 x 69 cm.
Two men and a woman worker assembling the engine of an airplane. The poster also includes a graphic of a bomb with the phrase "6th War Loan" dropping on the Japanese Rising Sun Flag.
Accessioned December 19, 1944.
1944
4.18
Next! / 6th war loan
51 x 71 cm.
The face of a soldier positioned over a map of Japan. The poster also includes a stylized graphic of a bomb landing on the Japanese Rising Sun Flag.
Accessioned December 19, 1944.
1944
4.19
Now all together
47 x 66 cm.
A color painting of Joe Rosenthal's "Raising a Flag on Iwo Jima," and a 7th War Loan label.
Accessioned June 9, 1945.
1945
4.20
Don't let that shadow touch them / buy war bonds
36 x 51 cm.
A shadow in the shape of a swastika cast over three playing children.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
13.4
Let's / all / fight / buy war bonds
35 x 28 cm.
A soldier with his rifle in the forefront and industrial workers in the background.
1942
4.21
Let's / all / fight / buy war bonds
71 x 56 cm.
A soldier with his rifle in the forefront and industrial workers in the background.
1942
4.22
Let's / all / fight / buy war bonds
71 x 56 cm.
A soldier with his rifle in the forefront and industrial workers in the background.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1942
4.23
Let's / all / fight / buy war bonds
; 56 x 36 cm.
A soldier with his rifle in the forefront and industrial workers in the background.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
4.24
Our good earth / ...keep it our / buy war bonds / "make every market day bond day"
36 x 56 cm.
A farmer in a wheat field with two children.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
4.25
We can't all go...but we can all help! / put at least 10% of your pay in war bonds. / sign the card today.
42 x 56 cm.
Black and white photograph of a soldier comforting a crying child.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
4.26
Help him [...] / help yourself [...] / for victory / at least 0% of your pay every payday
42 x 56 cm.
Photographs of a soldier and a worker.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
4.27
For victory...put at least 10% / of every pay into war bonds!
42 x 56 cm.
An illustration in which Hitler says "It is good to hear American are now pudding 10% of der pay into Bunds!" One of Hitler's subordinates says to another "Herman, you tell him it iss Bonds- not Bunds!"
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.1
Let's fly this flag / everybody / at least / 10% / in war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
A blue flag with thirteen stars and a silhouette of the Concord Minuteman.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.2
We are ready - what about you? / join the / schools at war/ program
Backed with linen. ; 56 x 73 cm.
Three teenage carrying a war bond certificate and a basket of ribbons, a teenage boy carrying scrap metal and rubber, and an adolescent boy wearing an aviator's cap and holding a model airplane. The poster also feature a 5th War Loan insignia.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.3
"This is my fight too!" / put at least 10% / every payday in / war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
Photograph of a woman industrial worker holding war bonds.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.4
[Untrimmed sheet featuring three posters]
61 x 96 cm.
Three posters designed by Native American students featuring Native American symbols and images from reservation life.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.5
[Untrimmed sheet featuring three posters]
61 x 96 cm.
Three posters designed by Native American students featuring Native American symbols and images from reservation life.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1942
5.6
Till we meet again / buy war bonds
36 x 56 cm.
A soldier waving from a ship's porthole.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.7
A sheet of four uncut posters
; 64 x 96 cm.
Four individual posters featuring significant moments in the Revolutionary War.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1942
5.8
A sheet of four uncut posters
64 x 96 cm.
Four individual posters featuring significant moments in the Revolutionary War.
Accessioned May 28, 1943
1942
5.9
This world cannot exist / half slave and half free / buy war bonds
76 x 102 cm.
A charcoal drawing of Abraham Lincoln.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
5.10
Use a pay day during the war / to buy a pay day / after the war
56 x 71 cm.
Cartoon of an industrial worker accepting pay from a paymaster with one hand and exchanging it for war bonds with the other.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
5.11
Keep him flying! / buy war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
A pilot ascending the cockpit of his plane.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
5.12
Keep him flying! / buy war bonds
72 x 101 cm.
A pilot ascending the cockpit of his plane.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1943
5.13
Remember me? I was at Bataan / buy war bonds
54 x 71 cm.
A soldier standing with arms crossed and hat in hand.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1943
5.14
Remember me? I was at Bataan / buy war bonds
72 x 101 cm.
A soldier standing with arms crossed and hat in hand.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
5.15
For their / future/ buy war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
A woman carrying a small child, with a lamb standing in the forefront.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1943
5.16
For their / future/ buy war bonds
72 x 94 cm.
A woman carrying a small child, with a lamb standing in the forefront.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
5.17
For freedom's / sake / buy war bonds
; 56 x 71 cm.
The Concord Minuteman with buildings in the background.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1943
5.18
For freedom's / sake / buy war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
The Concord Minuteman with buildings in the background.
Accessioned August 3, 1943.
1943
5.19
"Deliver us from evil" / buy war bonds
73 x 101 cm.
A young girl's face pictured in front of a swastika.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
5.20
Your / war bonds / are a / stake / in the / future
Backed with linen. ; 51 x 71 cm.
A tablet with the poster text mounted to a brick wall and draped in an American flag.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
5.21
For baby's future / buy war bonds
43 x 56 cm.
Photograph of an infant holding a war bond.
Ida M. Matsen
1943
5.22
She's ready, too / buy / war bonds
56 x 71 cm.
A woman in a yellow dress walking with the silhouette of the Concord Minuteman in the background.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
5.23
I gave a man! / will you give at least 10% / of your pay in war bonds?
43 x 56 cm.
Photograph of a woman holding a young girl and an infant.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
5.24
We pledged it / we'll beat it!
42 x 53 cm.
A large white B on a background overlaid with "B" in Morse code.
circa 1943
5.25
Oregon! / bring / 'em home in '44 / 4th war loan
Encapsulated ; 86 x 56 cm.
A smiling soldier with a Nazi helmet propped on his bayonet.
1943
5.26
Oregon! / bring / 'em home in '44 / 4th war loan
Encapsulated ; 86 x 56 cm.
A smiling soldier with a Nazi helmet propped on his bayonet.
1943

Series III:  War Production, 1941-1944Return to Top

41 posters

Series III is comprised of posters promoting wartime industrial production in the United States. Posters in this series were created by the United States Bureau of Home Economics, Division of Labor Standards, Office for Emergency Management, Office of Facts and Figures, War Department Safety Council, War Manpower Commission, and the War Production Board. Posters in this series offer general support for the civilian workforce, encourage safe working procedures, promote collecting of scrap materials and waste fats, and advocate for women in the workforce. Materials are arranged by issuing office.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
6.1
Make / your rubber / last / watch out / for these / enemies!
36 x 48 cm.
Instructions for preventing rubber from coming in contact with heat, sunlight, oil and grease accompanied by black and white illustrations.
1942
6.2
Make / your rubber / last
36 x 48 cm.
Instructions for caring for garments made of rubber thread, raincoats, and overshoes accompanied by black and white photographs.
1942
6.3
Make / your / rubber last
36 x 48 cm.
Instructions for caring for baby bottle nipples and rubber sheets accompanied by black and white photographs.
1942
6.4
Make / your rubber / last
36 x 48 cm.
Instructions for care of electric cords, laundry wringers, hot water bottles, ice packs, and syringes accompanied by black and white photographs.
1942
6.5
Make / your rubber / last / mend it... / "cold patch method"
36 x 48 cm.
Instructions for cold patching the rubber sole of a shoe accompanied by black and white photographs.
1942
6.6
Sight / security
; 51 x 72 cm.
An industrial worker wearing safety glasses with an arrow pointing to his eye protection.
Accessioned August 28, 1944.
3.5.31
6.7
Give 'em / both barrels
50 x 38 cm.
A machine gunner and a riveter side-by-side.
Accessioned July 3, 1942
1941
6.8
Give 'em / both barrels
102 x 76 cm.
A machine gunner and a riveter side-by-side.
Ida M. Matsen
1941
6.9
Don't / let him / down!
76 x 102 cm.
An airplane gunner.
Accessioned July 3, 1942
1942
6.10
Men working / together!
102 x 76 cm.
A soldier, an industrial worker, and a sailor standing together against a yellow background.
Accessioned July 3, 1942.
1942
6.11
Give it your best!
101 x 76 cm.
The American flag with text below.
Accessioned July 3, 1942.
1942
6.12
Get in the / scrap / America's war industries need / metals / paper / old rags / rubber / get it back in war production
Backed with linen. ; 51 x 71 cm.
Red and black text on a tan background.
Accessioned July 8, 1942.
circa 1942
6.13
"This world cannot exist / half slave and half free" / work for freedom!
36 x 51 cm.
A priest, two parents, and two children cowering against a wall with the shadow of a German soldier brandishing a whip cast over them.
Accessioned July 20, 1942.
1942
13.5
"Give 'em the stuff / to fight with..."
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
A soldier attempting to carry another soldier.
Accessioned June 24, 1942.
1942
6.14
"Give 'em the stuff / to fight with..."
76 x 102 cm.
A soldier attempting to carry another soldier.
1942
6.15
"Give 'em the stuff / to fight with..."
36 x 51 cm.
A soldier attempting to carry another soldier.
Accessioned July 20, 1942.
1942
6.16
"Give 'em the stuff / to fight with..." / work for freedom!
36 x 51 cm.
A worker's hand holding out a rifle to two soldiers crawling across a desert battlefield.
Accessioned July 20, 1942.
1942
6.17
I need you on the job full time... / don't get hurt
72 x 102 cm.
A soldier holding a submachine gun.
Accessioned June 19, 1944
1943
6.18
I need you on the job full time... / don't get hurt
72 x 102 cm.
A soldier holding a submachine gun.
Accessioned March 17, 1944.
1943
6.19
Put your muscle / on a war basis! / sign up for a farm job / ...at your local U.S. Employment Office
72 x 102 cm.
A shirtless man moving hay.
Accessioned September 2, 1942.
1942>
7.1
Women / in the war / we can't win / without them
72 x 101 cm.
A woman worker constructing a missile.
1942
7.2
Women / in the war / we can't win / without them
72 x 101 cm.
A woman worker constructing a missile.
1942
7.3
United we win
72 x 102 cm.
Two men assembling the cockpit of a plane.
1942
13.6
Take care of your automobile
20 x 26
A two-sided flyer with instructions for conservation of rubber tires and basic automobile maintenance.
1942
7.4
"Every man / woman and child / is a partner" / President Roosevelt / in 1942 / 60,000 / planes / 45,000 / tanks / 20,000 / a.a. guns / 8,000,000 / tons of ships
101 x 71 cm.
A line of people dressed in work and business attire walking together.
Accessioned July 24, 1942.
1942
7.5
You knock 'em out-- / we'll knock 'em down / more production
72 x 102 cm.
A pilot gesturing to his plane which features a pin-up angel and twelve tally marks.
Accessioned July 24, 1942.
1942
7.6
"Bundles for Berlin" / more production!
72 x 102 cm.
Two men mounting bombs in the weapons bay of an aircraft.
Accessioned September 2, 1942.
1942
13.7
The road back
22 x 30 cm.
A caricature of Adolf Hitler attempting to run up a conveyor belt labeled "U.S. Production Drive."
Accessioned August 24, 1943.
1942
7.7
Save your cans / help pass the ammunition
63 x 85 cm.
A woman's hand holding a tin can that appears to be part of a machine gunner's ammunition belt. Image is accompanied by instructions for preparing tin cans for recycling.
Accessioned February 8, 1944.
circa 1943
7.8
Don't be a bottleneck / beat the promise
46 x 56 cm.
An anthropomorphic wine bottle featuring overalls, work gloves, and a wrench.
Ida M. Matsen
circa 1942
7.9
Keep punching... / in the battle of production / beat your promise!
43 x 56 cm.
A man, labeled "You & I" boxes with gloves inscribed with "All-out production" and "No waste". His opponent is a caricature of a Japanese man carrying a dagger that reads "Remember Pearl Harbor".
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
7.10
Stamp 'em out! / beat your promise
55 x 78 cm.
A boot labeled "You and I" stepping on two snakes representing Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo an a frog representing Benito Mussolini.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
7.11
Put the squeeze on the Japanese / beat your promise
43 x 56 cm.
A man labeled "You and I" and wearing a shirt with the text "Increased Production" across it closes a vice on a caricature of a Japanese soldier. Nearby is a bloody sword that reads "Remember Pearl Harbor".
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
7.12
Beat your promise
67 x 56 cm.
Caricatures of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Hideki Tojo being crushed under a foot labeled "Your Production". Factories can be seen in the background.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
7.13
Wanted / for victory / waste paper / old rags / scrap metals / old rubber / get in the scrap / sell to a collector or give to a charity
52 x 68 cm.
Photograph of a family collecting scrap materials.
Accessioned July 3, 1942.
1942
7.14
How / steel is / made
; 51 x 88 cm.
An infographic demonstrating the smelting of steel and the conversion of household items to wartime purposes.
Accessioned November 11, 1942.
1942
7.15
How / steel is / made
; 51 x 88 cm.
An infographic demonstrating the smelting of steel and the conversion of household items to wartime purposes.
Accessioned March 19, 1943.
1942
7.16
Victory in the making! / "sight sub / sank same" / the equipment you and I make / serves our armed forces... / on land-- on sea-- and in the air!
36 x 58 cm.
An American plane attacking a surfaced submarine.
Ida M. Matsen
circa 1942
7.17
For gunpowder / save / waste / fats / rush them to your meat dealer
Encapsulated. ; 75 x 102 cm.
Men working on a large artillery piece.
circa 1943
7.18
For gunpowder / save / waste / fats / rush them to your meat dealer
75 x 102 cm.
Men working on a large artillery piece.
Accessioned November 8, 1943
circa 1943
7.19
Keep 'em all flying! / the industry that serves all war industry...Koppers
; 60 x 94 cm.
A U.S. Army soldier, a Marine, and sailor flanked by industrial workers and surrounded by the flags of the Allies.
circa 1943

Series IV:  Civilian Experience, 1941-1945Return to Top

51 posters

Series IV is comprised of posters promoting civilian participation in the American war effort. The series includes posters encouraging participation in various organizations including the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, the American Red Cross, and the Office of Civilian Defense. Posters in this series also address forest fire prevention, espionage, price control and counter-inflation efforts, nutrition and food austerity, nonessential travel, proper shipping practices, and household maintenance. Materials are organized according to issuing office and subject.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
8.1
Enlist in a proud profession! / join the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps
51 x 71 cm.
A woman wearing a U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps uniform accompanied by a text reading a "A Lifetime Education-FREE! If you can qualify."
circa 1943
8.2
Enlist in a proud profession! / join the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps
51 x 71 cm.
A woman wearing a U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps uniform accompanied by a text reading a "A Lifetime Education-FREE! If you can qualify."
Accessioned March 9, 1944.
circa 1943
8.3
Uncle Sam / needs nurses
Backed with linen. ; 34 x 48 cm.
Two young women dressed in Red Cross coats and nurse's caps.
circa 1943
8.4
Your Red Cross / is at his side / 1944 war fund
37 x 51 cm.
A man and woman holding up war fund and service flag emblems.
1944
8.5
Your Red Cross / must carry on! / give
35 x 51 cm.
Photograph of a Red Nurse with a young man in a wheelchair.
Accessioned May 1946.
circa 1945
8.6
Whatever the veteran's problem, / be it filing a benefit application or / working out a budget, Red Cross Home / Service workers are ready to lend a hand.
76 x 51 cm.
Black and white photograph of a Red Cross worker with a woman and a serviceman holding an infant. The Red Cross insignia is in color.
circa 1945
8.7
Days of convalescence seem / to pass more quickly when there's / a Red Cross worker with whom to / play a friendly game.
76 x 51 cm.
Black and white photograph of a Red Cross worker playing checkers with an injured serviceman. The Red Cross insignia is in color.
circa 1945
8.8
Become a nurse / your country needs you
35 x 44 cm.
A young woman having a nurse's cap placed on her head.
1942
8.9
Become a nurse / your country needs you
35 x44 cm.
A young woman having a nurse's cap placed on her head.
1942
8.10
Just by / keeping well / you can help win this war
34 x 51 cm.
Five rules for maintaining health with accompanying illustrations.
circa 1944
8.11
Allies / for a big job / OCD / cooperate with your / local defense council
53 x 50 cm.
Red, black, and blue text on a blue and white background. Photographs of a crowd fill the letters "OCD".
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
8.12
Chemical warfare agents
52 x 38 cm.
A chart describing the physical form, odor, physiological effects, severity, protection, treatment, behavior, and neutralization of various chemical warfare agents.
circa 1942
8.13
Official Civilian Defense insignia
72 x 102 cm.
A chart of Civilian Defense Corps insignias accompanied by explanatory text.
1942
8.14
All fires delay victory / join / the Forest Fire / Fighters Service/ Office of Civilian Defense / see your local Defense Council today
36 x 50 cm.
The smouldering remains of a forest.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
8.15
War against / fires / of / war / with the fire guard
36 x 56 cm.
Fire fighters putting out a blaze inside a building. Bomber planes can be seen through the window.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
8.16
What did you do today / ...for freedom?
54 x 73 cm.
Text advertising for the Citizens Service Corps featuring an illustration of a soldier's body face down on the ground.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
8.17
Public Proclamation No. 19
36 x 56 cm.
The text of Public Proclamation No. 19 illustrated with a map of the west coast of the United States.
October 10, 1943
8.18
Military aircraft silhouettes
57 x 89 cm.
Silhouettes and identifying features of military aircraft with explanatory text.
circa 1942
13.8
Careless matches-- / weapons of sabotage! / [...] / prevent forest fires
23 x 30 cm.
A match in front of a burning forest.
Accessioned August 18, 1943.
circa 1943
13.9
Will you be the / next gravedigger? / [...] / prevent forest fires
23 x 30 cm
A gravedigger standing by a tombstone that reads "Destroyed by the enemy's secret weapon." Burned tree stumps can be seen in the background.
Accessioned August 18, 1943.
circa 1943
13.10
Flying blind / in perfect weather! / ...another instance of the high cost / of wartime forest fires! / [...] / prevent forest fires
23 x 30 cm
A plane flying through a cloud of smoke from a forest fire.
Accessioned August 18, 1943.
circa 1943
8.19
Forest defense is national defense
35 x 46 cm.
Two men digging with a forest fire blazing in the background.
1941
8.20
Our carelessness / their secret weapon / prevent forest fires
56 x 71 cm.
Caricatures of Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo in front of a burning forest.
Accessioned August 18, 1943.
1943
8.21
He's / watching / you
72 x 101 cm.
A stylized German soldier looking outward.
Accessioned July 24, 1942.
1942
8.22
Somebody blabbed / ...don't talk about ship movements! / ...don't talk about war production! / button your lip!
36 x 51 cm.
A hand emerging from the water with a sailor's cap floating nearby.
Accessioned July 20, 1942.
1942
8.23
Americans suffer / when careless talk kills!
35 x 51 cm.
A man holding a woman as she clutches a Western Union telegram and weeps. A service flag hangs in the background.
Accessioned June 19, 1944.
1943
8.24
Careless talk / got there first
72 x 102 cm.
A soldier with blood streaming from his face.
1944
9.1
Keep your / [trap] / shut / don't give the rats / any information!
51 x 67 cm.
An image of a sprung mousetrap with a shred of newspaper reading "Crew Claiming U-Boat Knew of Ship Sailing" in place of the word "trap". The poster also includes caricatures of Hideki Tojo, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini.
circa 1942
9.2
Don't fall for / enemy propaganda / [...]
42 x 55 cm.
Caricatures of Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo whispering to a man.
circa 1942
9.3
Keep the / home front pledge / pay no more than ceiling / prices / pay your points in full
51 x 71 cm.
Image of a woman holding up her hand as if swearing a pledge accompanied by a graphic overlay that reads "Food fights for freedom".
Accessioned June 17, 1944.
1944
9.4
Rationing means / a fair share for all of us
56 x 71 cm.
One image, labeled "without rationing," shows one customer taking a box of canned goods while another gets nothing. The second image, labeled "with rationing," shows each customer getting a single can.
1943
9.5
You can lick / runaway prices / you hold the 7 keys to / hold down prices
41 x 57 cm.
An image of Uncle Sam accompanied by seven tips to help prevent wartime price inflation.
Accessioned March 6, 1944.
circa 1943
9.6
You can lick / runaway prices / you hold the 7 keys to / hold down prices
41 x 57 cm.
An image of Uncle Sam accompanied by seven tips to help prevent wartime price inflation.
Accessioned March 6, 1944.
circa 1943
9.7
Uncle Sam / keeps your rent down / you must / keep your home up
52 x 71 cm.
A commitment to maintaining one's household titled "Tenant's Wartime Pledge" and an illustration of two women dressed in aprons and carrying brooms.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
9.8
For health...eat some food / from each group...every day! / in addition to the basic 7... / eat any other foods you want
; 56 x 71 cm.
USDA food wheel featuring seven basic food groups.
1943
9.9
For health...eat some food / from each group...every day! / in addition to the basic 7... / eat any other foods you want
56 x 71 cm.
USDA food wheel featuring seven basic food groups.
Ida M. Matsen.
1943
9.10
Be a victory farm volunteer / in the U.S. Crop Corps / see your principal
36 x 56 cm.
Photographs of a young man and woman and several people working in a field.
Accessioned June 19, 1944.
1943
9.11
War gardens / for / victory / grow vitamins at / your kitchen door
30 x 47 cm.
White and red text on a blue and light blue background featuring a young woman holding a hoe and a large basket of fresh vegetables.
circa 1942
9.12
Victory seeds / free/ Richfield
83 x 124 cm.
Carrots, radishes, beets, and lettuce on a blue background with the poster text in yellow.
circa 1943
9.13
War traffic must / come first / don't waste transportation
36 x 46 cm.
Image of a train overlaid with white text.
Accessioned April 8, 1943.
circa 1943
9.14
Ship right / for victory / prevent / loss and / damage
34 x 45 cm.
Boxes being moved on a hand truck.
Accessioned April 8, 1943.
circa 1943
9.15
Your government warns / prepare for / winter / now! / [...] / fuel is scarce...conserve it!
51 x 71 cm.
Text describing three steps for preparing for winter, accompanied by illustrations.
Accessioned August 30, 1944.
1944
9.16
Leave / books / here / victory / book campaign
36 x 56 cm.
Images of a soldier and sailor on the pages of a book.
1942
9.17
Leave / books / here / victory / book campaign
35 x 55 cm.
Images of a soldier and sailor on the pages of a book.
1942
9.18
Victory book / campaign / [...] / Oregon wants to do her part / for our boys
38 x 51 cm.
A man carrying a stack of books and following a sign that reads "victory book campaign."
1942
9.19
The four freedoms
43 x 58 cm.
Text from a message from Franklin D. Roosevelt to the 77th Congress dated January 6, 1941.
1941
9.20
Freedom from Want
66 x 46 cm.
Text by Carlos Bulosan accompanied by Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want".
1943
9.21
Freedom from Fear
66 x 46 cm.
Text by Stephen Vincent Benet accompanied by Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Fear".
1943
9.22
Freedom of Speech
66 x 46 cm.
Text by Booth Tarkington accompanied by Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech".
1943
9.23
Freedom of Worship
66 x 46 cm.
Text by Will Durant accompanied by Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Worship".
1943
9.24
The Saturday Evening Post presents the Four Freedoms
This poster is two-sided. ; 66 x 46 cm.
Images of Norman Rockwell and his work accompanied by an article by Jack Alexander titled "Cover Man".
1943

Series V:  U.S. Military, 1941-1944Return to Top

31 posters

Series V is composed of posters promoting enlistment in the U.S. armed forces. Included in this series are posters from the United States Army, the Army Air Forces, the Army Nurse Corps, and the United States Marine Corps. The series also includes posters from the United States Office of Facts and Figures identifying allied soliders. Materials are arranged according to issuing office and serial number.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
10.1
Keep 'em flying!
Banner is in three pieces. ; 306 x 43 cm.
A banner featuring the text in blue and the Great Seal of the United States.
Accessioned October 14, 1941.
1941
10.2
Keep 'em flying!
51 x 71 cm.
Portrait of a man comprised of smaller images of workers and servicemen. The bottom left corner contains a poem entitled "Keep 'Em Flying" by Jack Childs.
Accessioned October 14, 1941.
1941
10.3
Can you qualify for the Army Air Corps? / "keep 'em flying!"
51 x 71 cm.
A chart featuring positions and qualification requirements for aviation cadets and enlisted men.
Accessioned October 14, 1941.
1941
10.4
Can you qualify for the Army Air Corps? / "keep 'em flying!"
51 x 71 cm.
A chart featuring positions and qualification requirements for aviation cadets and enlisted men.
1941
10.5
"Keep 'em flying" / is our battle cry! / first class fighting men needed
; 64 x 96 cm.
An American flag waving over a squadron of U.S. bomber planes.
1942
10.6
"Keep 'em flying" / is our battle cry! / first class fighting men needed
; 64 x 96 cm.
An American flag waving over a squadron of U.S. bomber planes.
1942
10.7
"Keep 'em flying" / is our battle cry! / first class fighting men needed
; 64 x 96 cm.
An American flag waving over a squadron of U.S. bomber planes.
1942
10.8
O'er the ramparts we watch / United States / Army Air Forces
; 48 x 63 cm.
A young man stands in the clouds holding a bomb as planes fly below.
Accessioned March 5, 1945.
circa 1943
10.9
Radiogram / to men of 18 and 19... / new enlistment privileges
51 x 71 cm.
Poster includes a photograph of a helmeted soldier and a list of Army positions featuring new enlistment privileges.
Accessioned September 8, 1943.
1943
10.10
For your country's sake today- / for your own sake tomorrow / go to the nearest recruiting station / of the armed service of your choice
Backed with linen. ; 43 x 63 cm.
A line of four young women, each dressed in the uniform of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.
1944
10.11
You are needed now / join the / Army Nurse Corps
52 x 79 cm.
Portrait of a young woman in an Army Nurse Corps uniform.
Accessioned February 8, 1944.
1943
10.12
United States Army insignia
51 x 71 cm.
Depictions of U.S. Army insignia and placement on uniforms with explanatory text.
Accessioned December 24, 1946.
circa 1941
10.13
Insignia of the Army of the United States
51 x 71 cm.
Depictions of U.S. Army insignia with explanatory text.
Accessioned September 8, 1943.
1943
10.14
U.S. Army / ribbons representing / decorations and awards
Backed with linen. Additional content on back obscured by linen. ; 60 x 44 cm.
Image of a medal of honor and other Army service decorations.
Accessioned November 19, 1943.
1943
10.15
U.S. Marines / on land / at sea / in the air / defend America
76 x 102 cm.
An eagle, a map of the United States, silhouettes of soldiers, and a battleship on a yellow background.
1941
10.16
Want action? / join / U.S. Marine Corps! / apply to nearest recruiting station, 510 Guardian Building - Salem, Oregon
; 76 x 102 cm.
A Marine on a beach holding his hand out to the reader.
Ida M. Matsen
1942
10.17
Let's go / U.S. Marines
Backed with linen. ; 71 x 101 cm.
A marching Marine on a red background.
1942
10.18
Wear the "fightin'est" wings in the service / fly with the Marines / apply, or write, to nearest recruiting station
Backed with linen. ; 71 x 101 cm.
A giant eagle tearing apart a Japanese Zero.
1942
10.19
Be a Marine / free a Marine / to fight
Backed with linen. ; 36 x 51 cm.
A woman in a Marine Corps uniform stands next to an airplane while holding a clipboard.
circa 1943
13.11
This man is your friend / Dutch sailor / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of a Dutch sailor
1942
13.12
This man is your friend / Englishman / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of an English soldier.
1942
10.20
This man is your friend / Englishman / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 37 x 51 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of an English soldier.
Ida M. Matsen.
1942
13.13
This man is you friend / Ethiopian / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of an Ethiopian soldier.
1942
13.14
This man is your friend / Russian / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of a Russian soldier.
1942
13.15
This man is you friend / Canadian / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of a Canadian soldier.
1942
13.16
This man is your friend / Australian / He fights for Freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of an Australian soldier.
1942
13.17
This man is your friend / Chinese / he fights for freedom
Backed with linen. ; 18 x 25 cm.
White text on a blue background with a photograph of a Chinese soldier.
1942

Series VI:  Foreign Propaganda, 1942-1944Return to Top

23 posters

Series VI includes posters representing Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, and the Allied Forces. Posters in this series address enlistment, espionage, war funding, and wartime austerity. Some posters produced in England and New Zealand were created for foreign distribution and emphasize the war efforts of the issuing country. One poster of German origin is also included in this series. Items in this series are arranged by country and serial number.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
11.1
Come on, pal / ...enlist!
62 x 92 cm.
A young man's face smiling and dressed in a military cap.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.2
Shoptalk may be / sabotalk / the walls have ears
46 x 62 cm.
An ear with a stylized factory building entering it.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
13.18
Tell nobody-- / not even her / careless talk costs lives
25 x 38 cm.
A sailor and a young woman.
Ida M. Matsen
circa 1942
13.19
More ships- / come on! / war savings / are warships...
25 x 38 cm.
A bulldog wearing a sailors cap that reads "H.M.S. Victory".
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
13.20
He's in the silent / service-are you? / never mention arrivals, sailings, / cargoes or destinations to anybody
25 x 37 cm.
A British sailor holding binoculars.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
11.3
Tighten / your / grip!
50 x 75 cm.
A swastika being crushed by blacksmith's tongs.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.4
Smash Japanese / aggression!
50 x 75 cm.
Depiction of British soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with Japanese soldiers accompanied by text reading "The Gloucesters, a famous regiment from Great Britain, raided Letpadan and drove the Japanese from the town, inflicting heavy casualties."
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
11.5
The downfall of the / dictators is assured
50 x 75 cm.
Battleships and aircraft passing a landmass.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.6
Choose for / victory / [...] / try a V dish to-day
37 x 50 cm.
Text describing a "victory dish" and an image of a menu marked with a large "V".
circa 1942
13.21
Join the crusade / buy / defence bonds
25 x 37 cm.
A hand holding aloft a British flag and burning cross.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
11.7
Together
51 x 76 cm.
Soldiers representing the British Commonwealth marching under a British flag.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.8
Keep the wheels turning! / repair / work / is vital to the / war effort
38 x 50 cm.
A hand holding a wrench.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
11.9
Britain's war supplies / go to these nations
43 x 56 cm.
A diagram representing Britain's contributions to the USSR, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, France, China, and the United States.
Ida M. Matsen
circa 1943
11.10
What Britain puts / in the / common pool
43 x 56 cm.
A diagram representing Britain's contributions of tanks, boots, ship repair, food, airfields, clothing, shipping, medical services, warships, and aircraft to the war effort.
Ida M. Matsen
circa 1943
11.11
Britain sees it through / "we've had five years of war"
43 x 56 cm.
Photograph of a young child and a dog in a war-torn street.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.12
Great / Britain / her natural & industrial / resources
76 x 101 cm.
A map of Great Britain depicting natural resource deposits and industrial hubs.
circa 1942
11.13
Britain - Spearhead of Attack
66 x 44 cm.
A map depicting attacks on Western Europe staged from Great Britain accompanied by information text.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1943
11.14
The expulsion of Axis forces / from North Africa
99 x 48 cm.
Map depicting troop movements along the north coast of Africa between October 1942 and April 1943.
1943
11.15
Grosse / Deutsch / Kunstausstellung / 1944/ im haus der / Deutschen kunst / zu Munchen
A section has been cut from the bottom edge. ; 113 x 88 cm.
A coin featuring the profile of a soldier and the emblem of the Nazi Party set on a red background with the poster text below.
1944
11.16
New Zealand fights / in Pacific skies
82 x 61 cm.
Photograph of a pilot standing on the wing of a fighter plane with palm trees visible in the background.
Accessioned October 10, 1944.
circa 1943
11.17
New Zealand / ally / down under
60 x 81 cm.
Two helmeted soldiers carrying weapons. Palm trees, sand, and water can be seen in the background.
Accessioned August 28, 1944.
circa 1944
11.18
Fight / for your / flag / you may enlist here / under these colours
53 x 70 cm.
Flags representing Yugoslavia, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Free France, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, and Great Britain emanating out from the sun.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942
11.19
Fight / for your / flag / you may enlist here / under these colours
53 x 70 cm.
Flags representing Yugoslavia, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Free France, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, and Great Britain emanating out from the sun.
Ida M. Matsen.
circa 1942

Series VII:  War Maps, 1942-1945Return to Top

28 posters

Series VII is comprised of maps created for publication in Life, Time, by Remington Rand, and by Scott Foresman and Company. Many of the maps included in this series, especially those created by mapmaker R.M. Chapin, Jr., are characterized by monochromatic coloring with bold red accents and graphic overlays. The maps illustrate military influence, troop movements, and combat for a popular audience. Materials are arranged by publisher and production date.

Container(s) Description Dates
folder-item
12.1
[Untitled map]
Backed with linen. ; 121 x 89 cm.
Map of Australia featuring major overland transportation routes and seaports.
March 23, 1942
12.2
Tunisian battlefield
107 x 61 cm.
A map of Tripoli to Bizerate annotated with troop locations and movements.
March 1, 1943
12.3
Approaches / to Germany
92 x 89 cm.
Map of possible routes into Germany from Russia, France, and Italy.
August 28, 1944
12.4
[Untitled map]
; 89 x 92 cm.
Map of U.S. airbases in China with descriptions of operability.
November 27, 1944
12.5
India
94 x 89 cm.
Map depicting natural and industrial resources in India.
April 6, 1942
12.6
China's / plague
96 x 91 cm.
Map of the spread of disease through China.
July 13, 1942
12.7
African battlegrounds
122 x 83 cm.
Map of North Africa designating occupation of cities by Axis and Allied forces, major transportation routes, and distribution of habitable terrain, jungles, deserts, and oases.
October 12, 1942
12.8
Geo-strategy of / Guadalcanal
93 x 90 cm.
Map depicting Japanese and Allied troops locations around Guadalcanal.
November 2, 1942
12.9
Freedom of the air?
85 x 102 cm.
Map of flight distances from New York City to other cities in the northern hemisphere.
February 14, 1943
12.10
The Japs are digging in
109 x 60 cm.
A map of Japanese troop movements off the coast of Australia.
April 26, 1943
12.11
Battle for the boot
70 x 118 cm.
Map depicting movement of Allied troops into southern Italy.
August 9, 1943
12.12
Winter projection
; 75 x 113 cm.
Map predicting Russian troop movement into Poland during the winter of 1943.
November 22, 1943
12.13
By the left flank
110 x 73 cm.
Map of Allied and German troop movements south of Rome.
January 31, 1944
12.14
X marks the spot
87 x 91 cm.
Map of flight patterns from Tarawa and New Guinea to Truk Island and the Marshall Islands.
January 31, 1944
12.15
The Czar's will / on 1944 Europe
89 x 104 cm.
Map depicting spread of USSR into Finland and Poland between 1939 and 1944.
April 3, 1944
12.16
Invasionland
60 x 113 cm.
Map of strategic railroads from Berlin to Brest.
May 1, 1944
12.17
The squeeze
Backed with linen. ; 106 x 89 cm.
Map depicting troop movement and combat in the South China Sea.
July 8, 1944
12.18
Wreckers / at work
86 x 109 cm.
Map of collateral damage in the Baltic states and Poland.
July 17, 1944
12.19
Choking Chungking
89 x 114 cm.
Map of Japanese troop movement through the Chinese province of Sichuan.
December 11, 1944
12.20
The floods come
89 x 114 cm.
Map depicting Allied movements in Germany.
April 9, 1945
12.21
[Untitled poster]
109 x 89 cm.
Map depicting spread of Axis powers across western Europe between 1939 and 1944.
May 14, 1945
12.22
Map I -- the Russian front
53 x 46 cm.
A map of the Soviet Union and neighboring countries from the Black Sea to the North Sea accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.23
Map II -- the Balkans
53 x 46 cm.
A map of the Balkan Peninsula accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.24
Map III -- Italy & South France
53 x 46 cm.
A map of the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Adriatic Seas and their surrounding areas accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.25
Map V -- Southeastern Asia
53 x 46 cm.
A map encompassing the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Siam, the South China Sea, and surrounding land masses accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.26
Map VI -- the Southwest Pacific
53 x 46 cm.
A map of New Guinea and surrounding land masses in the Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.27
Map VII -- the North Pacific
53 x 46 cm.
Map of the coast of China, Japan, and Russia along the East China Sea, Sea of Japan, and Sea of Okhotsk, accompanied by descriptive text.
1944
12.28
The world at war
Backed with linen. ; 74 x 60 cm.
A map of the planet with annotations regarding military occupations, troop movement, and important events in the war.
September 1942

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Civil defense.
  • Espionage.
  • Maps
  • Rationing--United States.
  • Recruiting and enlistment.
  • Savings bonds.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Maps.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Posters.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Propaganda.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Maps.
  • Posters.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Chapin, R. M., Jr. (artist)
    • Falter, John Philip, 1910- (artist)
    • Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960. (artist)
    • Rockwell, Norman, 1894-1978. (artist)
    • Sarra, Valentino, 1903- (artist)
    • Schreiber, Georges, 1904-1977. (artist)
    • Thompson, Kenneth W., 1907- (artist)
    Corporate Names
    • American Legion. (creator)
    • American Library Association. (creator)
    • American Red Cross. (creator)
    • Association of American Railroads. (creator)
    • Atlantic Richfield Co. (creator)
    • British Information Services. (creator)
    • Canada. Wartime Information Board. (creator)
    • Great Britain. Ministry of War Transport. (creator)
    • Great Britain. National Savings Committee. (creator)
    • Great Britain. Scottish Savings Committee. (creator)
    • Great Britain. Ulster Savings Committee. (creator)
    • Magazine Publishers of America. (creator)
    • National Aeronautic Association (U.S.) (creator)
    • National Congress of Parents and Teachers. (creator)
    • National Education Association of the United States. (creator)
    • National Garden Bureau. (creator)
    • New Zealand. Legation (U.S.) (creator)
    • Santa Fe Indian School. (creator)
    • United Service Organizations (U.S.) (creator)
    • United States Employment Service. (creator)
    • United States. Army Air Forces. (creator)
    • United States. Army Nurse Corps. (creator)
    • United States. Army Service Forces. Army Information Branch. (creator)
    • United States. Army. Air Corps. (creator)
    • United States. Army. Recruiting Publicity Bureau. (creator)
    • United States. Army. Recruiting Service. (creator)
    • United States. Army. Western Defense Command. (creator)
    • United States. Bureau of Home Economics. (creator)
    • United States. Cadet Nurse Corps. (creator)
    • United States. Crop Corps. (creator)
    • United States. Department of Agriculture. (creator)
    • United States. Department of the Treasury. (creator)
    • United States. Division of Labor Standards. (creator)
    • United States. Forest Service. (creator)
    • United States. Marine Corps. (creator)
    • United States. Office for Emergency Management. Division of Information. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Civil Defense. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Defense Transportation. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Economic Stabilization. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Education. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Facts and Figures. (creator)
    • United States. Office of Price Administration. (creator)
    • United States. Office of War Information. (creator)
    • United States. Public Health Service. (creator)
    • United States. Solid Fuels Administration for War. (creator)
    • United States. War Department. (creator)
    • United States. War Department. Safety Council. (creator)
    • United States. War Manpower Commission. (creator)
    • United States. War Production Board. (creator)
    • Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Trevor Sandgathe
2014

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