"Want Action? Join U.S. Marine Corps!" Poster
date: label: date made
content: 1942
name: label: artist
content: Flagg, James Montgomery
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Four-color print on paper.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: James Montgomery Flagg, the creator of this poster, was born in New York in 1877. As a child he began to draw and sold his first picture at the age of twelve. Two years later he was contributing to <i>Life</i> magazine and at fifteen was on the staff of the <i>The Judge.</i> Flagg studied at the Art Students League in New York. When he was twenty, he spent a year working in London before moving to France. Flagg was one of America's leading illustrators. His illustrations were in <i>Photoplay,</i> <i>McClure's Magazine,</i> <i>Collier's Weekly,</i> <i>Ladies' Home Journal,</i> <i>Cosmopolitan,</i> <i>Saturday Evening Post,</i> and <i>Harper's Weekly.</i> During the World War I Flagg designed forty-six posters for the government. His most famous work is the Uncle Sam poster with the caption "I Want You for the U.S. Army." An adapted version of this poster was also used during the World War II. Flagg died in 1960.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: Posters during World War II were designed to instill in people a positive outlook, a sense of patriotism, and confidence. They linked the war in trenches with the war at home. From a practical point, they were used to encourage all Americans to help with the war effort. The posters called on every man, woman, and child to endure the personal sacrifice and domestic adjustments to further the national agenda. They encouraged rationing, conservation, and sacrifice. In addition, the posters were used for recruitment, productivity, and motivation as well as for financing the war effort. The stark, colorful graphic designs elicited strong emotions. The posters played to the fears, frustrations, and faith in freedoms that lingered in people's minds during the war.
place: label: Associated Place
content: United States
topic: label: related event
content: World War II
label: related event
content: The Great Depression and World War II
label: related event
content: World War II
label: related event
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Naval
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: ThinkFinity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Stephen Williams
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.59744-N(19)
label: catalog number
content: 59744-N(19)
label: accession number
content: 303735
label: accession number
content: 303735
objectType: label: Object Name
content: poster
label: Other Terms
content: poster; Marine Corps
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 40 in x 28 in; 101.6 cm x 71.12 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 40 in x 28 in x in; 101.6 cm x 71.12 cm x .0508 cm