Untitled poster design
By Fred Chance, ca. 1941-45
Gouache on paper on board National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office
of War Information
Artistic Expressions: Untitled poster design One of the most common devices used to motivate
and inspire American citizens during World War II was the poster. From
194145, the Federal Government produced millions of posters from
thousands of original designs that called on Americans to enlist in the
armed forces, conserve scrap metals, buy war bonds, boost industrial production,
and follow security regulations. While the design for Fred Chance's poster
is uncaptioned, clearly the American farmer, depicted as a crucial part
of the war effort, was the audience. Food harvests made possible the industrial
production and military might symbolized by the swarm of tanks and planes
behind him.