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World War One Posters: An Anniversary Collection
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of America's entrance into World War I, this handsome volume presents fine reproductions of 100 of the era's greatest posters. From the thousands of examples produced in Europe and the United States, this collection offers a choice selection of full-page color reproductions accompanied by detailed captions.
World War I marked the first use of color lithographic posters as a propaganda tool, and they formed a major method of communications on both sides of the conflict. Governments were compelled to persuade citizens in the justness of the war's cause and the importance of participation — especially in the United States, which waited nearly three years to enter the fray. Recruitment posters exhorted viewers to enlist in the armed forces by appealing to a sense of duty and patriotism and occasionally promising training in a variety of practical skills. Americans remaining on the home front were urged to buy Victory Bonds, support the Red Cross, knit socks, and contribute in other ways to the war effort.
A renaissance of poster art had occurred immediately prior to World War I, thanks to advancements in printing techniques and materials, and the trend attracted legions of artists and craftsmen. James Montgomery Flagg's celebrated "I Want You for the U. S. Army," with its stern, finger-pointing image of Uncle Sam, remains a powerful and much-imitated symbol of patriotism. Other artists whose works appear in this collection include J. C. Lyendecker, Howard Chandler Christy, Gordon Grant, Harvey Dunn, Ludwig Hohlwein, Frank Brangwyn, and Theophile Steinlen. With their deep-rooted appeal to emotions and their powerful influence on behavior, these striking posters constitute an enduringly significant and historically valuable art form.
World War I marked the first use of color lithographic posters as a propaganda tool, and they formed a major method of communications on both sides of the conflict. Governments were compelled to persuade citizens in the justness of the war's cause and the importance of participation — especially in the United States, which waited nearly three years to enter the fray. Recruitment posters exhorted viewers to enlist in the armed forces by appealing to a sense of duty and patriotism and occasionally promising training in a variety of practical skills. Americans remaining on the home front were urged to buy Victory Bonds, support the Red Cross, knit socks, and contribute in other ways to the war effort.
A renaissance of poster art had occurred immediately prior to World War I, thanks to advancements in printing techniques and materials, and the trend attracted legions of artists and craftsmen. James Montgomery Flagg's celebrated "I Want You for the U. S. Army," with its stern, finger-pointing image of Uncle Sam, remains a powerful and much-imitated symbol of patriotism. Other artists whose works appear in this collection include J. C. Lyendecker, Howard Chandler Christy, Gordon Grant, Harvey Dunn, Ludwig Hohlwein, Frank Brangwyn, and Theophile Steinlen. With their deep-rooted appeal to emotions and their powerful influence on behavior, these striking posters constitute an enduringly significant and historically valuable art form.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published February 15, 2018
12 people want to read
About the author
Dover Publications
692 books36 followersDover Publications, also known as Dover Books is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be scarce or historically significant. Dover republishes these books making them available at a significantly reduced cost.
Dover is well known for its reprints of classic works of literature, classical sheet music and of public-domain images from the 18th and 19th centuries. Dover also publishes an extensive collection of mathematical, scientific and engineering texts. It often targets its reprints at a niche market such as wood working.
Most Dover reprints are facsimiles by photo process of the originals, retaining the original pagination and typeset, sometimes with a new introduction. Dover will usually add new and more colorful cover art to its paper-bound editions. They retitle some books to make them more in line with modern usage and categorization. For example, the book Woodward's National Architect was retitled A Victorian Housebuilder's Guide.
Dover is well known for its reprints of classic works of literature, classical sheet music and of public-domain images from the 18th and 19th centuries. Dover also publishes an extensive collection of mathematical, scientific and engineering texts. It often targets its reprints at a niche market such as wood working.
Most Dover reprints are facsimiles by photo process of the originals, retaining the original pagination and typeset, sometimes with a new introduction. Dover will usually add new and more colorful cover art to its paper-bound editions. They retitle some books to make them more in line with modern usage and categorization. For example, the book Woodward's National Architect was retitled A Victorian Housebuilder's Guide.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 17, 2018
Netgalley #30
Many thanks go to Dover Publications for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
3.5 stars
I would have appreciated some sort of written introduction to the posters. Explain the philosophy of each country or the availability of materials, etc. I think my favorite may have been the French ones. The artistry of those posters was supreme especially compared to the German ones, which were pretty plain. The British seemed fairly moralistic, sailers saving nurses and whatnot. America just really wants you to buy a war bond now please!
I’ve never seen any of these posters except good ole Uncle Sam, and it makes me wonder what they’d look like if made today. It’s been 100 years. Great memorial piece.
Many thanks go to Dover Publications for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
3.5 stars
I would have appreciated some sort of written introduction to the posters. Explain the philosophy of each country or the availability of materials, etc. I think my favorite may have been the French ones. The artistry of those posters was supreme especially compared to the German ones, which were pretty plain. The British seemed fairly moralistic, sailers saving nurses and whatnot. America just really wants you to buy a war bond now please!
I’ve never seen any of these posters except good ole Uncle Sam, and it makes me wonder what they’d look like if made today. It’s been 100 years. Great memorial piece.
March 7, 2018
WW1 posters! The title says it all. But in my opinion the interest in this book is to see how strong was the propaganda at the time, kind of fascinating and horrifying at the same time. It's also well documented with the title of each poster, the year, the artist, etc.
March 30, 2018
The publisher tells us that ‘World War One Posters’ is published “In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into World War One”, although the “fine reproductions of 100 of the era’s greatest posters” come from Europe as well as the United States.
Many of the posters are indeed visually arresting, all have some historical importance and there’s considerable variety on display, ranging from a gung-ho sailor astride a torpedo (Plate 15) to a sobering reference to the widows and orphans produced by war (Plate 18). However, to describe this collection as comprising “100 of the era’s greatest posters” is clearly hyperbole if only for the fact that the last two posters contain nothing but text – and pretty dull text at that.
The posters could have been arranged chronologically or thematically but instead are loosely arranged geographically, with fifty-one U.S. posters (Plates 1-50 and 63); followed by posters from France (51-60 inclusive); Italy (62); Poland (64-65); Czechoslovakia (66); Russia (67); Germany (68-77), Austria-Hungary (78-79), Britain (61, 80-84, 87, 92-100); Canada (85 and 88-90); Australia (86). This is clearly a very unbalanced representation, even if one excludes Turkey from Europe. Moreover, two of the French posters (Plates 53 and 56) deal with tuberculosis and thus appear only tangentially related to World War One.
The publisher also tells us that “James Montgomery Flagg's celebrated ‘I Want You for the U. S. Army,’ [Plate 49] with its stern, finger-pointing image of Uncle Sam, remains a powerful and much-imitated symbol of patriotism”, apparently unaware of the fact that it represents an imitation of Alfred Leete’s poster of Lord Kitchener, which is easily the most famous British poster of World War One and which is omitted from this collection. In short, little thought seems to have been given either to the choice of posters or to the order in which they are presented.
Little thought or effort is also evident in the text accompanying the posters. Sometimes a translation is provided for non-English posters but not always. Descriptions of the posters are invariably brief (some poster titles are longer than their descriptions) and often tell you nothing which you can’t see. Plate 19, for example, is described as a “Poster showing Admiral Farragut directing a battle while tied high up in the rigging of the U.S.S. Hartford” but no information is provided on Farragut or the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay.
This description is identical to the summary of the poster in the Library of Congress Digital Collection. Indeed, whoever was tasked with describing the posters in this book has been very liberal in copying and pasting from the Library of Congress. This also means that in the rare instances where the Library of Congress makes an error (usually by repeating an error in the original poster) that mistake is slavishly reproduced here. Thus Plate 75 mistakenly refers to the “British Labour leader Johnson-Hicks” when the reference should be to the Conservative MP Joynson-Hicks.
Doubtless there is a market for a book of World War One posters but it is depressing that this particular one appears to have been thrown together in such a shoddy manner.
Many of the posters are indeed visually arresting, all have some historical importance and there’s considerable variety on display, ranging from a gung-ho sailor astride a torpedo (Plate 15) to a sobering reference to the widows and orphans produced by war (Plate 18). However, to describe this collection as comprising “100 of the era’s greatest posters” is clearly hyperbole if only for the fact that the last two posters contain nothing but text – and pretty dull text at that.
The posters could have been arranged chronologically or thematically but instead are loosely arranged geographically, with fifty-one U.S. posters (Plates 1-50 and 63); followed by posters from France (51-60 inclusive); Italy (62); Poland (64-65); Czechoslovakia (66); Russia (67); Germany (68-77), Austria-Hungary (78-79), Britain (61, 80-84, 87, 92-100); Canada (85 and 88-90); Australia (86). This is clearly a very unbalanced representation, even if one excludes Turkey from Europe. Moreover, two of the French posters (Plates 53 and 56) deal with tuberculosis and thus appear only tangentially related to World War One.
The publisher also tells us that “James Montgomery Flagg's celebrated ‘I Want You for the U. S. Army,’ [Plate 49] with its stern, finger-pointing image of Uncle Sam, remains a powerful and much-imitated symbol of patriotism”, apparently unaware of the fact that it represents an imitation of Alfred Leete’s poster of Lord Kitchener, which is easily the most famous British poster of World War One and which is omitted from this collection. In short, little thought seems to have been given either to the choice of posters or to the order in which they are presented.
Little thought or effort is also evident in the text accompanying the posters. Sometimes a translation is provided for non-English posters but not always. Descriptions of the posters are invariably brief (some poster titles are longer than their descriptions) and often tell you nothing which you can’t see. Plate 19, for example, is described as a “Poster showing Admiral Farragut directing a battle while tied high up in the rigging of the U.S.S. Hartford” but no information is provided on Farragut or the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay.
This description is identical to the summary of the poster in the Library of Congress Digital Collection. Indeed, whoever was tasked with describing the posters in this book has been very liberal in copying and pasting from the Library of Congress. This also means that in the rare instances where the Library of Congress makes an error (usually by repeating an error in the original poster) that mistake is slavishly reproduced here. Thus Plate 75 mistakenly refers to the “British Labour leader Johnson-Hicks” when the reference should be to the Conservative MP Joynson-Hicks.
Doubtless there is a market for a book of World War One posters but it is depressing that this particular one appears to have been thrown together in such a shoddy manner.
October 8, 2020
America declared war on the Government of Germany on April 2, 1917, and needed to raise an army to battle in Europe. America had not planned on entering the war and Wilson campaigned for his second term with the motto "He kept us out of war." War was not popular and many remembered the Civil War just a short 50 years in the past. Americans had no desire to fight the war "over there." The American population was a mix of nationalities. There were many Americans of German descent and even German immigrants.
In order to raise an army, navy, Marine Corps, and fund them, the government turned to art and propaganda. Posters were not simple recruiting posters but played on duty, adventure, and America's honor. Appeals were made to support liberty. To work the shipyards. Buy bonds. Eat fish because they feed themselves -- no need to care for them or use resources like livestock. Electricians, mechanics, and carpenters were encouraged to enlist and contribute their skills. Women were called to take office jobs held by men so they could enlist.
Posters are not limited to the United States. France, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Canada, and Germany all contribute posters. German posters portraying defense especially from aerial attacks. Other nations calling on men to enlist and others to contribute to the war effort. All posters are meant to play to the viewer's emotions and patriotism. These were more than just notices to be read they were meant to inspire loyalty and duty to one's country.
April 4, 2018
Hmmmm. I requested an ARC of this compilation because I've been interested in art and WWI for the longest time now, and I've read up on the history of the early 20th century a lot, both in school and privately. What I always enjoyed best about my normaly quite snobbish highschool teacher's history lessons was his ambition to show us how to analyze, question and criticize paintings, caricatures, and, yes, posters, against the background of historical events. And that was absolutely not what this book focused on, even though god knows there would have been enough space for more text.
This being said, the Dover Publications collection certainly lacks
a) the inclusion of quite a few iconic WWI posters
b) information on at least some of the artists who created them
c) translations of part of the non-English captions (though I'm happy to see those were included at all)
d) more thorough explanations about the historical context of the posters and the propaganda (!!!) behind them, for those readers who bought the book to educate themselves about the atrocities of the war and take away valuable lessons about society and politics. There goes my mid-tweens history revision dream.
*I received a digital copy through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
This being said, the Dover Publications collection certainly lacks
a) the inclusion of quite a few iconic WWI posters
b) information on at least some of the artists who created them
c) translations of part of the non-English captions (though I'm happy to see those were included at all)
d) more thorough explanations about the historical context of the posters and the propaganda (!!!) behind them, for those readers who bought the book to educate themselves about the atrocities of the war and take away valuable lessons about society and politics. There goes my mid-tweens history revision dream.
*I received a digital copy through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2018
'World War One Posters: An Anniversary Collection' by Dover Publications Inc. is a collection of 100 posters from the World War I era. The description states that the book has detailed captions, but I wished there had been just a bit more detail.
The book primarily has examples from the US, but there are posters from some of the other countries in the conflict as well. There are calls for service, and calls to invest in war funds. The most famous image of the era included is that of Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer and demanding their enlistment. Where artists are known, they are given as well as the printing company. The dates of the poster are given and the country it's from.
This sort of thing is of great interest to me. The era of the First World War is less known to me since the US joined the war late, but these posters show an actively engaged country seeking assistance to fight. They can be viewed as propaganda as some, but I feel they are appeals to the public consciousness. The art is of the era, and I really had a great time looking over these posters.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Calla Editions, Dover Publications, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
The book primarily has examples from the US, but there are posters from some of the other countries in the conflict as well. There are calls for service, and calls to invest in war funds. The most famous image of the era included is that of Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer and demanding their enlistment. Where artists are known, they are given as well as the printing company. The dates of the poster are given and the country it's from.
This sort of thing is of great interest to me. The era of the First World War is less known to me since the US joined the war late, but these posters show an actively engaged country seeking assistance to fight. They can be viewed as propaganda as some, but I feel they are appeals to the public consciousness. The art is of the era, and I really had a great time looking over these posters.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Calla Editions, Dover Publications, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
March 23, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I love posters. When I requested this book for review I knew they wouldn’t be the kind of art I am attracted to, but these posters are a unique piece of history and I really enjoyed it.
We always tend to associate propaganda with the extreme regimes, communism and so on, but propaganda is everywhere. “Fight alongside your friends” is just another way to pull you in. The movement of the figures in these posters, or the rhythm created by the soldiers marching (even if it’s just a drawing) have a way to attract you.
And one of the great thing about this is to notice how different the posters are from country to country. This is a good collection for anyone interested in history or posters. There are 100 posters in this collection, so make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.
Come On, Join Now by Richard Fayerweather is one of my favourites, of course.
I love posters. When I requested this book for review I knew they wouldn’t be the kind of art I am attracted to, but these posters are a unique piece of history and I really enjoyed it.
We always tend to associate propaganda with the extreme regimes, communism and so on, but propaganda is everywhere. “Fight alongside your friends” is just another way to pull you in. The movement of the figures in these posters, or the rhythm created by the soldiers marching (even if it’s just a drawing) have a way to attract you.
And one of the great thing about this is to notice how different the posters are from country to country. This is a good collection for anyone interested in history or posters. There are 100 posters in this collection, so make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.
Come On, Join Now by Richard Fayerweather is one of my favourites, of course.
March 7, 2018
This very impressive collection of World War I posters is stunning graphically, but also of great interest to anyone interested in history, the Great War, propaganda or art. Fascinating to look through, with examples from both sides including British, French, and German but also from Canada, Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., and Poland.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 20, 2018
A fascinating look at WWI propaganda posters from all sides. My history nerd side AND my art geek side loved it! What captivated me the most (and made me read the book twice!) was how different a large portion of the posters looked from my expectations. Uncle Sam was in the mix, yes, but so were hints of psychedelic colors and designs way ahead of their time. Would definitely recommend!
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
March 6, 2018
A stunning collection of WWI posters from around the world (with examples from the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Italy, and Australia). Each poster is accompanied by only a brief description, allowing readers to experience a more genuine reaction than if they were fed a detailed analysis.
March 29, 2018
Cool collection but it is not as comprehensive as I expected from a centenary edition. I read a digital ARC and was disappointed that the caption for many of the posters written in foreign languages did not have a translation.
September 15, 2024
The World War I posters. The drawing is amazing. But the artist. They will never draw the reailty of World War I.
March 16, 2018
Summary: It's posters from World War One. Contains information on who created it or paid for it, what country, and what year. Describes each poster.
Great for: History buffs, nerds or whatever you call them or yourself.
Why I requested this on Netgalley: I honestly don't remember requesting this! The person who accepts requests was probably like, "Sure why not" but confused as this is not related to anything I review.
Purchase: Came out February 28, 2018 hardcover!
Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review.
Recommend? Yes, interesting and many I've never seen before! Some awe-inspiring while others use guilt or a various tender emotional response of joining the military for this cause.
Great for: History buffs, nerds or whatever you call them or yourself.
Why I requested this on Netgalley: I honestly don't remember requesting this! The person who accepts requests was probably like, "Sure why not" but confused as this is not related to anything I review.
Purchase: Came out February 28, 2018 hardcover!
Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review.
Recommend? Yes, interesting and many I've never seen before! Some awe-inspiring while others use guilt or a various tender emotional response of joining the military for this cause.
August 20, 2018
This is a very colourful walk back into history. The Posters would have been a real reminder of the First World War and times to many, if they were still living. We of the current generation can only marvel at the artwork and the marketing done in this period. It is hard to understand how effective these posters were, and to comprehend the magnitude of the patriotism of the times.
A wonderful glimpse into time and war long past.
A wonderful glimpse into time and war long past.
May 6, 2018
I got access to excerpt of this book. The century old pictures is fantastic. I wished to have access to the full book to provide a more deep review.
May 21, 2018
These vibrant reproductions of World War I posters include examples from both Europe and The U.S. They cover a variety of propaganda issues from justification of the ongoing war, to urging young men to enlist, to the patriotic duties of those on the home front, and pretty much anything in between.
I enjoyed this book (my review copy was an eBook). The images are striking and fill one with a sense of nostalgia for a "simpler time" when the world - the line between good and bad, right and wrong, just and unjust - had fewer gray (or grey) areas. When we all pulled together to do our part for the common good.
Of course, those things may or may not have been true (they are, after all, propaganda posters) but looking back now, seeing these posters a century removed from their time, it's easy to believe it was all so much clearer and simpler. It's just fun to see!
My only complaint is a little nitpicky. I wish there would have been more text to accompany these great images. The reactions of the public towards specific images, maybe a bit of trivia relating to the general zeitgeist that produced them, that sort of thing.
A great collection of posters of the period. Recommend to anyone with an interest in art, propaganda, World War I history.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book (my review copy was an eBook). The images are striking and fill one with a sense of nostalgia for a "simpler time" when the world - the line between good and bad, right and wrong, just and unjust - had fewer gray (or grey) areas. When we all pulled together to do our part for the common good.
Of course, those things may or may not have been true (they are, after all, propaganda posters) but looking back now, seeing these posters a century removed from their time, it's easy to believe it was all so much clearer and simpler. It's just fun to see!
My only complaint is a little nitpicky. I wish there would have been more text to accompany these great images. The reactions of the public towards specific images, maybe a bit of trivia relating to the general zeitgeist that produced them, that sort of thing.
A great collection of posters of the period. Recommend to anyone with an interest in art, propaganda, World War I history.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews