The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-25
THE Sun S. Poster Contest
Shows Arts Value in War
Practical Psychology of mpressng Ship Workers They
Are Real Fighting Men Comments on the Win
ners and Special Task Faced by Junges

and the winner OF the first prize
rendered It in terms Of large simplicity
both literal and symbolic. This poster
is an epic OF patriotic labor.
Another angle was suggested by
German submarine ruthlessness. by
German atrocities in general. by the
world menace OF Germanism.
stu another existed In the clean cut
appeal to preserve liberty and de-
mocracy in the world and to destroy
the threatened dominion OF unprinci-
pied autocracy. y
OF minor appeals there were many.
but for a purpose SO serious as the
speeding up Of shipbuilding the bigger
and broader the appeal, the better the
poster. It IL automatic. in poster de-
sign. thats the best poster is the one
which conveys its meaning the most
clearly to the greatest number Of peo-
pie. This IL a poster test which en-
braces all the many other complex
points which enter into the critical
consideration Of posters. Some posters
convey their Intended idea vaguely
and uncertainty to every enc; other
posters convey their intended idea
clearly to a few people, but not at
all to others.
Returning to points involved in the
shipbuilding poster competition. THE
question of the audience to be reached
was important. Unlike most Of the
posters called forth by the varied ext
gencies Of the war, these posters were
not intended primarily for general dis
play. though many Of them will be
so used. They were intended primarily
for use In the shipyards and in the
contributory industrial plants and for
this reason the desired note was not
that which would appeal to the man
on Fifth avenue but that which would
appeal to the worker.
Problem Of Awards a Special One,
The problem, then, was in many
senses a special one, and in making
selection for award the judges could
not allow themselves to be swayed too
much by personal preferences or by
purely artistic considerations. The
men for whom these posters were
made were primarily to be stimulated
in their work, not educated in art.
I would not wish to appear. from
this statement. to discount the i'm
portanee OF art in posters. The thought
which wish rather to convey Is that
the importance Of the building Of ships
is 80 great that Il overshadows all
other considerations. II the idea in a
poster is such that 1t will be readily
understood by the ship workers. II the
idea Is such that 1t will stimulate
them, give them new pride in their
work, impress them with its essential
part in winning the war, the finer
points Of art are best overlooked.
1t goes without saying that the best
poster is the poster which combines a
powerful, inspiring idea with a strong
aTtistic conception and good technical
workmanship. But in the case Of this
competition 1t was felt that. as be-
tween the two. idea held greater i'm
portance than art.
Before giving a few brief para
graphs to the discussion Of some of
the prize winning poster designs a
few further remarks should be made
about the general purposes Of the
The shipbuilding plants were highly
enthusiastic over the idea from the
start. One foreman said: you know,
1. stirs a fellow up when he sees him.
self pictured working for Uncle SAM"
And so on. up to Charley" Schwab,
Of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, and Edward N.
Hurley. chairman Of the United States
Shipping Board. Both expressed in
the columns Of THE SUN their en-
thusiastic belief in the Importance Of
keeping quantities Of stirring posters
before the men in the ship
yards and industrial plants.
DR.. Eaton's Idea Of Appeal.
DR.. Charles A. Eaton. the head of
the national service section OF the
United States Shipping Board. said:
There are now over 100000 men
employed in the shipyards of this
country. This number will be greatly
increased as the programme develops.
They have not the leisure for reading
long articles, but their minds are open
to every message pertaining to the
great responsibilities which rest upon
them. The poster placed in the ship
yard is daily message and reminder.
1t contains in brief space a whole
argument and appeal"
Nor should II be forgotten that
plenty of strong posters constitute the
best means of offsetting such insidious
German propaganda and sabotage in
element as might here and there Turk
secretly in dark corners or make It
self heard in widespread disloyalty.
The shipbuilding posters soon to be
issued from this competition should
be a challenge, a reminder, a clarion
call to duty and a diploma for work
we'll done. The man in overalls seeing
any Of them should say to himself
one of two things: Here's where I
get busy" or That's me, that big
guy with the hammer" II the poster
gives him neither inspiration nor
it's a failure.
The points involved in poster de-
sign have long appealed to me as
being worthy Of more careful study
than has been accorded them. In 1912
/ wrote a critical and analytical
treatise on the subject. For ten years
prior to that had collected posters
and watched with constantly growing
interest every development Of poster
srt from year to year. And certainly
at no time in the past have posters
played so important a part as they
play to-day, and at no time has the
opportunity of the artist held such
splendid and inspiring possibilities.
Comments on Prize winners.
Class Three prizes land an hon
Orable mentionl All citizens of