World War II Victory Garden poster
date: label: Date made
content: 1942
name: label: Associated Name
content: Miller, J. Howard
label: commissioner
content: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
label: distributor
content: War Production Coordinating Committee
label: maker
content: Miller, J. Howard
notes: label: Description
content: This World War II poster was most likely made in 1942 for the Westinghouse War Production Co-Ordinating Committee. It depicts three people—a young girl, a man, and a woman (most likely a family)—wearing red, white, and blue clothing and walking on green grass with yellow flowers against a white background. The child and woman are dressed identically, both smiling and carrying gardening tools. The man, walking in front and pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt, is gazing slightly upward with a pleasant smile. Just beneath the wheelbarrow, J. Howard Miller’s name is signed in cursive. Miller is the same artist who designed the famous “We Can Do It!” poster. On the bottom third of the poster, the text “PLANT A GARDEN for VICTORY” stands out in yellow lettering, “victory” being the largest word. At the bottom left corner of the poster, is the text “post May 1 st. to 15 th” in all caps. There is a Westinghouse logo at the bottom of the poster, next to the text, “War Production Co-Ordinating Committee,”which is in capital letters.
label: Description
content: During World War II, the US government reestablished the War Gardens program from World War I and rebranded them as Victory Gardens. In 1941, attendees at a National Garden Conference began the groundwork for the World War II Victory Garden program. Victory Gardens allowed for more agricultural produce and resources to go to the war effort and reduced pressure on farms, as many farmworkers were leaving to join the military. The program emphasized that gardening would increase physical health and supply families with nutritious food. Gardening also increased morale and patriotism. Citizens were encouraged to garden in public areas, providing a stronger sense of community among participants. The program was remarkably effective, and in 1944, 18.5 million Victory Gardeners took part in the program and supplied the country with forty percent of its fresh vegetables.
topic: label: associated subject
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History
label: See more items in
content: Princeton Posters
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0851.10
label: accession number
content: 1985.0851
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0851.10
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Poster