properganda posters

Keep Calm and Cary on

Easily the most recognisable. Created months before the outbreak of the second world war in 1939, it was part of a series of 3 posters to boost morale following serious air raids. The posters were never wildly distributed even though 2.5 million were printed. They were instead recycled to save paper, but one was re-discovered in 2000. It's now one of the most parodied and commercialised posters ever. The composition, simple design and typography choice make them feel modern despite being 80 years old.

1914 - UK Lord Kitchener

It depicted Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, above the words "WANTS YOU". Kitchener, wearing the cap of a British Field Marshal, stares and points at the viewer calling them to enlist in the British Army against the Central Powers. The image is considered one of the most iconic and enduring images of World War I. A hugely influential image and slogan, it has also inspired imitations in other countries.

1915 German Enlistment Poster

Auch du sollst beitreten zur Reichswehr ... Poster shows German soldier pointing at viewer. Text: You, too, should join the Reichswehr. Therefore, sign up at the next enlistment post, Reichswehr-Gruppen-Kommando no. 4 (Bavarian), Mohl, Major General.

1917 Uncle Sam
USA recruitment poster.

J. M. Flagg's 1917 poster was based on the original British Lord Kitchener poster of three years earlier. It was used to recruit soldiers for both World War I and World War II. Flagg used a modified version of his own face for Uncle Sam,^[1] and veteran Walter Botts provided the pose.^[2]