As much as World War I brought the poster from a marginal role into the mainstream; World War II broadened the poster's appeal to affect all segments of the population in this truly global struggle. There were new subjects to be covered like the airplane, and others never to be mentioned again such as the calvalry. African Americans had a role to play, as did the Italians, Irish, Jews, Women and even children. The role of the homefront citizen-soldier was trumpeted as one of equals with those on the front lines. Everyone had a contribution to make, a burden to bear.
In the US, funding and promoting the war required tremendous energy and effort. The U.S. founded the Office of War Information which is the "OWI" appearing at the bottom of many government issued posters. Other agencies were involved too, including Office of Price Administration (OPA), the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Farm Bureau to name a few.
World War II poster design afforded the opportunity for a new generation of artists to showcase their talent while helping their country. In the U.S., there was Norman Rockwell and Ben Shahn; in France, Jean Carlu's "Give'em Both Barrels" was a standout; while in Germany Ludwig Hohlwein's distinctive style was immediately recognizable.
We have a number of additional WW2 posters available; if we don't have it in stock we will do our best to locate it on for you, just let us know what you're looking for!
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