First World War Posters

Recruitment, propaganda, rationing, fundraising – during the First World War posters were used to inform and rally the public as never before. Three beautiful books with reproductions.

The Great War in Posters: Communication Instrument and Work of Art

World War I Poster Exhibition: 14 November 2014 – 12 January 2015, Peace Palace, Main Hall. World War I meant an important new role for the poster: propaganda. The posters produced during the war were part of the largest military campaign ever. They were used raising money for the war, get young men to enlist, provoking enemy states but also to support the wounded soldiers. The main intention was to bring the public closer to the war.

Joan of Arc Saved France

This poster by Haskell Coffin (1878-1941), was commissioned by the United States Treasury Department as part of the campaign to raise money for the First World War by having civilians buy war savings stamps.

Keep ‘em going!

American propaganda poster: German Emperor Wilhelm II being hunted by a US locomotive.

.

Come on Boys!

United States National Guard recruitment poster. Marching soldiers. Some soldiers are making an inviting gesture. From our WOI Image collection.

Deutschlands Schicksal

German propaganda poster that expresses Germany’s fear for British bombing of their industrial plants. Image: map of Germany’s main industrial area. Around the map bombers and destroyed industrial plants are depicted.

Defeat the Kaiser and his U-boats

Black and orange colored World War I poster depicting Kaiser Wilhelm II with a German helmet watching an U-boat and a sinking ship with smoke rising from it.

Poster: Darf Belgien Englands Aufmarschgebiet werden?

Poster from World War I expressing German anxiety over the proposed construction of a Channel Tunnel linking Belgium and England, c.1914-1918. Translated from German: Can Belgium be allowed to become England’s deployment area?

Joan of Arc Saved France

The 1918 poster “Joan of Arc Saved France”, by Haskell Coffin (1878-1941), was commissioned by the United States Treasury Department as part of the campaign to raise money for the First World War by having civilians buy war savings stamps. The low priced stamps were pasted into a booklet that when filled could be exchanged […]

Keep ’em going!

American Railroad advertisement poster, Keep ’em going! “Every bad order Locomotive is a Prussian soldier. Every life Locomotive is an American soldier. Let us get on the top Prussian Locomotives and make American soldiers out of them”. Image: German Emperor Wilhelm II being hunted by a US locomotive.