"Enlist in a Proud Profession ... U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps" Poster

Description:

Physical Description

Four-color print on paper.

Specific History

The Division of Military History and Diplomacy has been collecting recruiting posters for more than fifty years. Recruiting as an activity of the military is important to the understanding of who serves in uniform during both war and peace and the visual materials used to market military service. The collection contains examples of early Civil War broadsides; World War I posters, including the original artwork for Uncle Sam as drawn by Montgomery Flagg; and World War II posters, which show the recruiting of men and women for all services and auxiliary organizations. The collection contains primarily Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II recruiting posters for the army, navy and some marines. More modern-day recruiting materials are also contained in the collection, and cover a broad range of army recruiting slogans.

General History

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.

Date Made: 1942Associated Dates: 1942

Distributor: United States. Office of War InformationPrinter: US Government Printing OfficeIssuing Authority: U.S. Public Health Service

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States

Related Event: World War IIThe Great Depression and World War II

Subject:

See more items in: Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Military, Military, Art, ThinkFinity

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1977.0020.041Catalog Number: 1977.0020.041Accession Number: 1977.0020

Object Name: posterOther Terms: poster; Art

Physical Description: paper (overall material)ink (overall material)blue (overall color)white (overall color)red (overall color)grey (overall color)black (overall color)Measurements: average spatial: 71.6 cm x 51.3 cm; 28 3/16 in x 20 3/16 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-180b-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1173667

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