World War II Poster

This image, said to be the most popular poster design of World War II, appeared as a billboard in 1941. Carl Paulson created the design under the direction of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, Inc., for a U.S. Treasury Department campaign promoting the widespread public ownership of defense bonds and stamps. To demonstrate the power of advertising while selling bonds, the billboard industry displayed this image of the American flag at more than 30,000 locations in some 18,000 cities and towns across the country in March and April 1942. The Treasury brought back the billboard for campaigns in July 1942 and 1943. To meet public demand for copies of the billboard, the Government Printing Office printed 4 million small color reproductions.

The Roosevelt quotation on this poster is from his fireside chat of May 27, 1941. In this radio address he proclaimed "an unlimited national emergency" to strengthen the nation's defense in response to the threat of a "world war" growing from the "advance of Hitlerism." In particular, he said "the delivery of needed supplies to Britain is imperative. I say that this can be done; it must be done; and it will be done."

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