AHA Today

War Posters in the World Digital Library

Elisabeth Grant | Sep 30, 2009

It’s easy to lose hours perusing the World Digital Library, stumbling across fascinating finds, clicking from place, to time, to topic, to type of item, to institution. Explore sketches of the Amistad captives, paintings of Peking opera characters, and illuminated manuscripts. Just a month ago in September 3rd edition of What We’re Reading we linked to a blog post’s collection of 20 Fascinating Ancient Maps found in the online library. Inspired by this roundup, we’ve searched the World Digital Library, and come across a number of interesting war posters. See below.

Australia: Australia has Promised Britain 50,000 More Men; Will You Help Us Keep that Promise

Australia has promised Britain

Canada: Bushmen and Sawmill Hands Wanted. Join the 224th Canadian Forestry Battalion

Canada - Bushmen wanted

England: Women are Working Day and Night to Win the War

England - Women win the war

French-Canadians: Enlist!: Re-form the Salaberry Riflery Regiments

French-Canadian

Germany: Subscribe to the War Loan! The Army and Navy Expect it from You!

Germany

Pozsony (present-day Bratislava, Slovakia): National War Relief Exhibition in Pozsony

Slovakia

United States: 7th War Loan. Now–All Together.

United States - now all together

If you’re interested in posters like these you may want to check out the pamphlets in the AHA’s G.I. Roundtable series. Between 1943 and 1945 the AHA prepared these pamphlets for the Army’s Division of Information and Education. It was the army’s intent that these pamphlets should “increase the effectiveness of the soldiers and officers as fighters during the war and as citizens after the war.” Check out all of the titles here, including “What is Propaganda,” “How Far Should Government Control Radio?,” “Do You Want Your Wife To Work after the War?” and more. It’s a fascinating look back.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.


Tags: AHA Today Resources for History Enthusiasts Archives Military History


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