World War I posters, 1917-1918

Overview of the Collection

Title
World War I posters
Dates
1917-1918 (inclusive)
Quantity
.04 linear feet, (1 oversized folder)
Collection Number
MSS.089
Summary
This collection contains 6 posters from World War I. The posters were created between 1917-1918. The posters have imagery and messaging related to Navy recruitment, the United War Work Campaign, and Liberty Bonds. Notably, one of the posters features the "Christy girl" by artist Howard Chandler Christy (1872-1952). Additionally, the collection has posters with images from artists Richard Fayerweather Babcock (1887-1954), Walter Whitehead (1874–1956) and John Norton (1876-1934).
Repository
University of Puget Sound, Archives & Special Collections

Collins Memorial Library
1500 N. Warner St.
CMB1021
Tacoma, WA
98416-1021
Telephone: 2538792669
archives@pugetsound.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The United War Work Campaign (November 11-18, 1918) was a one week fundraising campaign in the United States that was launched to raise money for solider morale programs. The Campaign was authorized by President Woodrow Wilson and the Navy Department, and later mobilized by seven organizations. These were the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A), Young Women's Christian Association (Y.W.C.A), American Library Association, War Camp Community Service, National Catholic War Council (Knights of Columbus), Jewish Welfare Board, and the Salvation Army. The organizations aimed to fundraise at least $175,500,000, although later estimates determined they would need at least $250,000,000 to adequately deliver the services they envisioned.

The funds were to be used to deliver soldier-moral programs. Programs included the Red Triangle workers of the Y.M.C.A who provided soldiers with hot drinks, cigarettes, and treats on the front lines; the Y.W.C.A centers and restaurants for women overseas serving as nurses, signal corps workers, and munition factory workers; the War Camp Community Service information booths at train stations and other civil centers that provided soldiers with information about wholesome entertainment and recreation; and the American Library Association which established 1,000 branch libraries where soldiers could access a variety of reading materials.

Liberty Bonds were a financial security sold by the United States Federal Reserve as one means to finance the involvement of the United States in World War One. Citizens could purchase Liberty Bonds from the any bank that was a member of the United States Federal Reserve and then turn in the bonds at a later date, ideally for a higher return than originally purchased for. Liberty bonds could be purchased for as low as $50 and as high as $10,000. The bonds had a 30 year term, but were callable after 10 years. To encourage the sale of Liberty Bonds, the Federal Reserve launched educational campaigns that encouraged Americans to purchase the bonds. These campaigns conflated the purchase of bonds with American patriotism and support for the War effort.

References

"Howard Chandler Christy." Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/howard-chandler-christy.

Sutch, Richard. "Liberty Bonds April 1917–September 1918." Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/liberty-bonds.

The United War Work Campaign, What It Is and What It Means, November 11-18, 1918. No place, unknown, or undetermined, 1918.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains 6 posters from World War I. The posters were created between 1917-1918. Two of the posters encourage American citizens to enlist in the United States Navy. One of these recruitment posters features the "Christy girl" by artist Howard Chandler Christy (1872-1952); the other recruitment poster has imagery by artist Richard Fayerweather Babcock (1887-1954). Two of the posters advocate for donations to the United War Work Campaign. One was created by the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A) and the other was created by the Young Women's Christian Association (Y.W.C.A). The final two posters in the collection display images and messages encouraging American citizens to purchase Liberty Bonds. These two posters were printed by the Strobridge Lithographing Company with images by artists Walter Whitehead (1874–1956) and John Norton (1876-1934).

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Archives & Special Collections, University of Puget Sound, provides access to its collections to support educational, personal, and non-commercial use. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law. Copyright laws protect published as well as unpublished materials. It is the user's responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or any other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise disseminating materials found in the collections. Physical property rights reside with the Archives & Special Collections, University of Puget Sound. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, please consult the Archives & Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document, date.] World War I posters, MSS.089. University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections. Tacoma, Washington.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • World War, 1914-1918--History--Sources