Main content
World War II posters collection
Notifications
Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The World War II poster collection consists of 112 posters from the United States, France, and Great Britain and covers the period from 1940-1945. The posters reflect the concerns of a country at war--recruitment; wartime production and labor; scrapping; war bonds and fundraising; patriotic propaganda; and concern over "wartime gossip." The collection is arranged in two series: I. Foreign posters and II. American posters. Within each series, the posters are arranged by issuing body or agency. Series II. American posters, comprises the bulk of the collection.
Languages present in this collection include: English and French. Series I. Foreign posters, addresses concerns present in France and Great Britain between 1940 and 1945, including recruitment; jobs and volunteer positions on the home front; war production; fundraising; patriotic propaganda; and concern over "wartime gossip." The series consists of three French posters, and eleven British posters. Highlights include a poster containing a war protest poem entitled "Monty's Morale"; posters supporting the French Resistance; posters recruiting women as nurses; and a poster encouraging proper flight conduct for Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots.
Series II. American posters, contains posters representing and encouraging support for United States military, civic, and economic initiatives between 1941-1945, including recruitment; wartime production and labor; scrapping; war bonds and fundraising; patriotic propaganda; and concern over "wartime gossip." Highlights of this series include several posters presenting America's diverse range of allies; posters soliciting funds for the China Relief Aid; posters recruiting women into the Women’s' Auxiliary Corps; posters encouraging Native American enlistment; and a poster encouraging adult service as Boy Scout leaders. Items of local and regional interest include several recruitment posters referencing the Coastal Defense Force as well as one US Navy recruitment poster for a location in Philadelphia.
Series I. F1-F8: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize mapcases
Series II. F1-F19: Sheleved in SPEC MSS oversize mapcases
Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (18 inches)
Processed by Lori A. Bridgers, March, 1992. Updated and encoded by Rachel Eskridge and Benjamin Kern, March-April, 2016. Updated by Dustin Frohlich, May, 2016.
Subject
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2016 May 2
- Access Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce isrequired from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec
- Use Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
Collection Inventory
Series I. Foreign posters, addresses concerns present in France and Great Britain between 1940 and 1945, including recruitment; jobs and volunteer positions on the home front; war production; fundraising; patriotic propaganda; and concern over "wartime gossip." The series consists of three French posters, and eleven British posters. Highlights include a poster containing a war protest poem entitled "Monty's Morale"; posters supporting the French Resistance; posters recruiting women as nurses; and a poster encouraging proper flight conduct for Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots.
Posters recruiting trained nurses for the National Hospital Service Reserve, and men for the auxiliary fire service, special constabulary, and the rescue section.
Physical Description6 item
Poster advertising paid government training. Illustrations depictpicture wartime production trades.
Physical Description1 item
Poster urging populace to purchase savings certificates. Artwork depicts a bombardment balloon.
Physical Description1 item
Contains "Monty's Morale" - a war protest poem urging membership in the Peace Pledge Union, an organization intent on stopping the war.
Physical Description1 item
Poster urging Royal Air Force pilots not to "show off" while flying in and around England.
Physical Description1 item
Poster condemning wartime gossip. Artist: Cyril Kenneth Bird ("Fougasse").
Physical Description1 item
One poster illustrates a speech from General Charles De Gaulle, dated 1940 June 18 (after French surrender), who stated France had “lost the battle but not the war.” Poster is in French. Second poster is in English in support of the French Resistance, dated 1944. Artist R. Louvat.
Physical Description2 item
French Air Force recruitment poster. Dated 1944. Artist: R. Lovat.
Physical Description1 item
Series II. American posters, contains posters representing and encouraging support for United States military, civic, and economic initiatives between 1941-1945, including recruitment; wartime production and labor; scrapping; war bonds and fundraising; patriotic propaganda; and concern over "wartime gossip." Highlights of this series include several posters presenting America's diverse range of allies; posters soliciting funds for the China Relief Aid; posters recruiting women into the Women’s' Auxiliary Corps; posters encouraging Native American enlistment; and a poster encouraging adult service as Boy Scout leaders. Items of local and regional interest include several recruitment posters referencing the Coastal Defense Force as well as one US Navy recruitment poster for a location in Philadelphia.
Poster recruiting Boy Scout Troop leaders. Targets men not available for military employment. Poster also depicts Sea Scouts and Cub Scouts. Dated 1942. Artist: Remington Shuyler.
Physical Description1 item
Posters discouraging wartime gossip, intended for both civilian and military audiences. Noteworthy depictions include images of cartoons, sailors, and prisoners of war. Dated 1942. Artists: O. Soglow, John Falter, Adolph Treidler, Howard Scott, W. Steig, Holm Gren, Holcomb, C.C. Beall, and Steven Dohanos.
Physical Description10 item
Posters highlighting the mutual importance of both combat and wartime labor for American victory. Folder contains posters depicting wartime workforce recruitment as well as patriotic propoganda, and also a poster illustrating a quote from William Knudsen encouraging maintained wartime production.
Physical Description10 item
Posters highlighting the mutual importance of both combat and wartime labor for American victory. Folder contains posters encouraging wartime production and propaganda posters. Artists: Robert Beede.
Physical Description8 item
Poster providesBehavior guidelines in case of an air raid.
Physical Description1 item
Subjects of posters include the labor force, the combat force, scrapping resources, the and patriotic propaganda. Artist: Jean Carl, Beall.
Physical Description7 item
Posters contain stereotypical depictions of the United States' multi-national allies. Nationalities include: Canadian, English, Dutch, Chinese, Ethiopian, Australian, and Russian.
Physical Description7 item
Patriotic posters referencing a Valley Forge, American military heritage, and national religious sentiments. The posters also celebrate allies of the United States, and memorialize the massacre at Lidice, Czechoslovakia.
Physical Description5 item
Posters advertising value of trains as transportation and encouraging the populace to invest in war bonds and stamps.
Physical Description3 item
Posters discouraging wartime gossip.
Physical Description3 item
Posters reference the Fourth and the Seventh Liberty Loans and target Native American and females as audiences. Many posters reproduced original World War I Liberty Loan posters.
Physical Description7 item
Poster promoting monetary donation to the United Charities Campaign Drive.
Physical Description1 item
Posters encouraging donations in aid of China.
Physical Description5 item
Folder contains recruitment posters aimed at young men, a poster encouraging war manufacturing and production, a poster depicting the radio as "the nerve system of the army", and “news-map” poster containing information about the Pacific, European, African, and Russian fronts (front and back of the same piece). Other posters reference the Coastal Defense Force.
Physical Description11 item
Themes of posters include recruitment; scrapping; patriotism; military air planes; and recruitment of air mechanics. Artists: Spezio, Dan V. Smith, Albro F Downe, Ivan Dmitri, and Fischer.
Physical Description6 item
Posters encouraginge recruitment of women. Artists Alfred F. Downe, Michael Ramus, and Dan Smith.
Physical Description5 item
Posters urging men to join the Marines to fly fighter planes or be part of the infantry. Artists: Vic Guinness (USMC). Folder includes US Navy recruiting poster from Philadelphia.
Physical Description2 item
Poster encouraging American families to scrap paper, metals, rags, and rubber.
Physical Description1 item
Posters encouraging increases in production of war materials. Images depict men holding weapons and discussing the quality of their American-made vechicles or planes. Several posters are dated 1942. Artists: Jarrett Prince, Riggs.
Physical Description5 item