Historical Society of Pennsylvania war posters collection


Collection V95

1914-1945
(2.4 Linear feet ; 136 flat files)
© The Historical Society of Pennsylvania1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Summary Information

Repository
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Title
Historical Society of Pennsylvania war posters collection
ID
V95
Date
1914-1945
Extent
2.4 Linear feet ; 136 flat files
Author
Finding aid prepared by John Armstrong
Sponsor
The processing of material from the former HSP collection of World War I posters (Collection 3349) into this collection was made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lafayette Collins III.
Language
English
Graphic materials [Oversize]
1-136
Abstract
This collection includes over 500 original World War I and World War II posters. The World War I section includes a number of Liberty Loan, American National Red Cross, and the U.S. Food Administration posters, while the World War II group includes American home front posters, many of which were published by the Office of War Information. Other organizations represented in the collection include the War Production Board, U.S. Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corporation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve ("Spars"), the Y.W.C.A., Women’s Land Army, as well as branches of the U.S. military. War bonds, rationing, enlistment, vigilance, and conservation of resources are all topics treated by these artworks. The collection includes posters by such famous artists as Albert Dorne, James Montgomery Flagg, E. McKnight Kauffer, David Stone Martin, Norman Rockwell, Ben Shahn, and Frederick Siebel. The collection is arranged into three series: Series 1 (World War I), Series 2 (World War II), and Series 3 (Commemorative). Materials are further arranged by size, except for Series 3 which contains only medium-sized items, and by country of origin. Within each subseries materials are arranged alphabetically by topic or issuing organization.

Preferred citation

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], HSP war posters collection (Collection V95), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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Overview of arrangement

Series I. World War I, Folders 1-49, 122-124, 128-136

a. U.S. Small, 2 folders

b. U.S. Medium, 33 folders

c. U.S. Large, 9 folders

d. Foreign Medium, 3 folders

e. Foreign Large, 2 folders

 Series II. World War II, Folders 50-121, 125-126

a. U.S. Small, 14 folders

b. U.S. Medium, 25 folders

c. U.S. Large, 31 folders

d. Foreign Small, 1 folder

e. Foreign Medium, 2 folders

 Series III. Commemorative, Folder 127

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 2008

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

This is an artificial collection created over time by HSP staff mostly through donations and purchases of individual images or groups of prints.

Processing information

Posters in folders 130-136 were formerly part of HSP Collection of World War I Posters (Collection 3349), which has been disbanded.

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Related Materials

Related materials

At the Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

Balch Institute ethnic posters collection (Collection 3212)

Historical Society of Pennsylvania poster and broadside collection (Collection V94)

Work Project Administration posters (Collection V99)

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Controlled Access Headings

Subject(s)

  • Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945--Caricatures and cartoons.
  • Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945--Caricatures and cartoons.
  • National security--1939-1945--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • Patriotism--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • Savings bonds--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • Tojo, Hideki, 1884-1948--Caricatures and cartoons.
  • Uncle Sam (Symbolic character)--Posters--Specimens.
  • United States--Office of War Information--Division of Public Inquiries.
  • War posters, American--1914-1918--Specimens.
  • War posters, American--1939-1945--Specimens.
  • Women's Land Army of America.
  • World War, 1914-1918--Finance--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1914-1918--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Food supply--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Civilian--United States--Poster--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Propaganda--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--United States--Posters--Specimens.
  • World War, 1939-1945--War work--United States--Posters--Specimens.

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Collection Inventory

 Series I. World War I 

 Subseries a. United States Small 
Oversize

United States Food Administration – “America’s Food Pledge 20 Million Tons” 

 1

War Savings Stamps 

 1

28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") 

 130

 Subseries b. United States Medium 
Oversize

American Chocolate Fund; American Committee for Relief in the Near East; American Field Service; American Legion; American Library Association; American Ouvroir Fund; American Red Star Animal Relief; Business Men’s War Council 

 2

American National Red Cross 

 3-5

Committee on Public Safety; Council of National Defense (various states); Department of Civilian Service and Labor; Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania 

 6

Fatherless Children of France; Girl Scouts; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Interchurch World Movement; Italian War Relief Fund; Keystone Party Headquarters; National Security League 

 7

Liberty Loan - general 

 8-9

Liberty Loan – 2nd 

 10

Liberty Loan – 3rd 

 11

Liberty Loan – 4th 

 12-13

Liberty Loan – Victory 

 14-15

Liberty Loan and War Savings Stamps 

 131

Military Trainings Camps Association; National War Garden Commission 

 16

National Committee of Patriotic Societies; National Phonograph Records Recruiting Corps; National Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild; Our Boys in France Tobacco Fund; Patriotic League; Private Peat 

 17

Navy League of Philadelphia 

 132

U. S. Army and Navy recruiting 

 133

U.S. Army; U.S. Army Air Service; U.S. Embassy, France; U.S. Employment Service 

 18

U.S. Food Administration 

 20-22, 134

U.S. Fuel Administration 

 23

U.S. Marines 

 24

U.S. Navy 

 25

U.S. Shipping Board. Emergency Fleet Corporation 

 26-27

War Camp Community Service 

 135

War Savings Stamps 

 28

United War Work Campaign; War Chest; War Committee of the Episcopal Church; War Risk Insurance; Women’s Land Army; YWCA 

 29

Miscellaneous: An Appeal to the American people; Ask the Policeman; First Call; Marshal Foch; On to victory; Over the Top; Ready to demobilize; The Uhlan’s Raid; The Road to France; They brought us victory; Welcome Home; Welcome 77th 

 30, 136

 Subseries c. United States Large 
Oversize

American Legion 

 31

American National Red Cross 

 32

Air Service; American Committee for the Relief in the Near East; American Red Star Animal Relief; Aviation Section, Signal Corps; Commission for Relief in Belgium; Czechoslovak Recruiting Office 

 33

Committee on Public Information; Committee on Public Safety; Council on National Defense; Home for Polish Girls; National Guard; Salvation Army 

 34

Liberty Loan – General; 3rd 

 35

Liberty Loan – 4th 

 36

Liberty Loan – Victory 

 37-38

Society of the Sons of St. George 

 39

U.S. Army; U.S. Employment Service; U.S. Food Administration 

 40

U.S. Marine Corps 

 41-43

U.S. Navy 

 44

U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation 

 45

U.S. Tank Corps; U.S. War Films; United War Work Campaign 

 46

Women’s Land Army 

 47

War Savings Stamps; World Fellowship; Y.M.C.A.; Y.W.C.A. 

 48

Miscellaneous: All For Victory; American Library Association; Boston Commission on Public Safety; Daylight Savings; Lectures / Demonstrations; National League for Women’s Service; On to Berlin; U.S. Boys Working Reserve; Wake Up America 

 49

 Subseries d. Foreign Medium 
Oversize

Belgian Military Mission; France 

 122

Britain; Wales 

 123-124

 Subseries e. Foreign Large 
Oversize

Belgium - Emprunt de la Restauration Nationale [National Restoration Loan]; Britain; Canada; France 

 128

Poland 

 129

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 Series II. World War II 

 Subseries a. United States Small 
Oversize

American Library Association 

 50

American National Red Cross 

 51-52

Health and Nutrition Programs 

 53

Merchant Marine 

 54

Nursing Recruitment 

 55

Office of War Information: “Can All You Can” 

 56

Office of war Information: “I’m Counting on You”; “Somebody Blabbed” 

 57

Office of war Information: “Strong in the Strength of the Lord” 

 58

U.S. Department of Labor 

 59

U.S. Public Health Service 

 60

U.S. Public Health Service: VD graphics 

 61

Victory War Stamps; War Bonds 

 62

War Contributions: Seagrams: “When in Doubt, Lights Out” 

 63

U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Navy; University of Pennsylvania; War Camp Community Service; War Contributions: various 

 64

 Suberies b. United States Medium 
Oversize

American National Red Cross 

 65

Blotters: March of Dimes; National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis; Committee for the Celebration of President’s Birthday; Nursing Council for War Service; Philadelphia Defense Council; U.S. Army (including WAAC); U.S. Coast Guard (including SPARS); U.S. Marines; U.S. Navy; War Housing 

 66

Children’s Bureau; Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies; Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania; National Committee for Conservation of Manpower in Defense Industries; National Council for the Promotion of Father’s Day; National Inventors Council; National Rifle Association; National Society for the Advancement of Patriotic Education; Russian War Relief, Inc.; United China Relief 

 67

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #1-24 (incomplete) 

 68

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #26-37 (incomplete) 

 69

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #39-64 (incomplete) 

 70

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #65-79 (incomplete) 

 71

Office of War Information: General subjects 1942-1943 

 72

Office of War Information: General subjects 1944-1945 

 73

U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Army; U.S. Civilian Defense; U.S. Crop Corps (one Women’s Land Army) 

 74

U.S. Coast Guard 

 75

U.S. Government: Federal Bureau of Investigation; Industrial Salvage; Internal Revenue Service; Office of Price Administration; Office of Production Management; Public Safety Committee; Solid Fuel 

 76

U.S. Government: Fuel Conservation Campaign; Office for Economic Stabilization 

 77

U.S. Office of Defense Health and Welfare; U.S. Office of Defense Transportation; U.S. Office of Education; U.S. Office of Emergency Management; U.S. Office of Employment Service 

 78

U.S. Marines; U.S. Navy 

 79

U.S. Postal Services: V-Mail; U.S. Army and Navy; U.S. Post Office 

 80

U.S. Public Health Services 

 81

War Contributions: Bearings Manufacturing; ESSO; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Kroger Baking and Grocery Company; Philadelphia Evening Bulletin; Philadelphia Inquirer; Saturday Evening Post 

 82

War Contributions: Seagrams 

 83

United Service Organization; United War Chest; Veterans of Foreign Wars in the U.S.; War Food Administration; War Housing Center 

 84

War Bonds & Stamps, 1942 

 85

War Bonds & Stamps, 1943 

 86-87

War Bonds & Stamps, 1944-1945 

 88

Miscellaneous: Stop Hitler Now; Extracts from Adolf Hitler’s Public Speeches; Headquarters Eastern Defense Command and First Army ; I avow my hope and faith…; Eighth Pan American Child Congress 

 89

 Subseries c. United States Large 
Oversize

American National Red Cross; Nursing Council for War Service 

 90

First Aid 

 91

Government Printing Office 

 92-94

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #8-24 (incomplete) 

 95

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #26-46 (incomplete) 

 96

Office of War Information: Numbered Series: #54-78 (incomplete) 

 97

U.S. Army: Conservation Project; Ordinance Division; WAC 

 98

U.S. Government: Office of Civilian Defense; Office of Defense Transportation; Office of Emergency Management; U.S. Coast Guard (including SPARS); U.S. Employment Office 

 99

U.S. Government: Department of Labor-Women’s Bureau; Bureau of Internal Revenue; Office of Price Administration; U.S. Maritime Commission; War Department Safety Council; Work Projects Administration 

 100

U.S. Marines 

 101-102

U.S. Marines. Wake Island 

 103

U.S. Navy. Construction Works 

 104

U.S. Navy. “Don’t Slow Up the Ship” 

 105

U.S. Navy. Incentive Division 

 106-107

U.S. Navy. Recruitment 

 108-109

U.S. Navy. Seabees 

 110

U.S. Navy. WAVES 

 111

U.S. Office of Inter-American Affairs. 

 112

War Bonds & Stamps, 1941 

 112

War Bonds & Stamps, 1942 

 114

War Bonds & Stamps, 1943 

 115

War Contributions: American Broadcasting Company; American Express; American Radiator and Standard Sanitary; ESSO; General Cable Corporation; Koppers Company; Republic Steel; Steel 

 116

War Contributions: Pennsylvania Railroad 

 117

War Manpower Commission 

 118

War Production Board, 1942 

 119

War Production Board, 1943 

 120

 Subseries d. Foreign Small 
Oversize

Canada 

 121

 Subseries e. Foreign Medium 
Oversize

Britain 

 125

Canada: Director of Public Information 

 126

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 Series III. Commemorative 
Oversize

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead; First recognition of the Stars and Stripes; From the first volley…; Good discipline is considered…; If that fellow wants to fight...; Logistics is as vital…; The most blood and daring…; Victory was the consummation…; We fought her…; We have met the enemy and they are ours; You may fire when ready, Gridley; Iwo Jima 

 127

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