Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of resourcefulness for the war effort on the homefront. While the government wants to keep war and violence as far away from the youth as possible, there are other ways in which to involve the children, one of which was the Schools at War Program. The American Schools at War program was a program during World War II run by the U.S. Treasury Department, in which schoolchildren set goals to sell stamps and bonds to help the war effort. The program was also administered by the U.S. Office of Education, the Federal government agency that interfaced with the nation's school systems and its thirty-two million students. The Office, however, allowed the Treasury to work with the schools directly as the main objective of the program was raising money.

Planning for the program began before the December 1941 United States declaration of war on Japan. It started in earnest with the 1942–1943 school year. Students were taught that they could support the war effort in several ways. Their most important contribution was financial. Students bought war stamps and bonds with their spare change or earnings. However, more significantly, they were a sales force of millions selling to their families, neighbors, and communities. By the end of the war, they had raised over $2 billion (equivalent to $30.8 billion in 2021).

Schools at War supplied literature to teachers and posters that encouraged all aspects of the program. Individual schools were incentivized with a special flag to reach 90 percent student participation. School sponsorship of a particular item, such as a jeep or airplane, motivated sales. Tens of thousands of jeeps and hundreds of planes were "bought" under the program.

The poster features A teen-age girl holding a war bond and stamps in one hand and a basket of war stamps tied with ribbons made into bows in the other hand, is followed by a teen-age boy carrying scrap metal and rubber, and a younger boy who is wearing an aviator's cap and holding a model airplane. Beneath them are the words:

We Are Ready * What About You?
Join the
SCHOOLS AT WAR
Program

Reads in footer:

"W88 554."
"Sponsored by the War Savings Staff of the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Office of Education and its Wartime Commission."
"1942--O-477115."
"Save, serve, conserve."

The 22” x 28” poster is offered in great condition and only has minor wear to the corners. The artwork featured was done by Irving Nurick. Irving Nurick was born in 1894 in New York City. He was well known for his realistic illustration, and watercolors of cityscapes, urban views, genre, human activity and daily life.

In his early years studied at the National Academy of Design* in New York City and traveled the world painting cityscapes of Paris, London and Rome developing his style and technique.

He is best known for his illustrations in many early 20th Century magazines, World War II posters, and illustrations for books. Some better known titles: Saturday Evening Post, "Sailor On Broadway" (18 September 1943); "Schools At War "(1942), Ladies' Home Journal; "I'm Fed Up" (1944), and other illustrations.

This is a wonderful poster and comes more than ready for display.