Original Item: Only One Available. Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the American citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the American public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. The Government launched an aggressive propaganda campaign with clearly articulated goals and strategies to galvanize public support, and it recruited some of the nation's foremost intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers to wage the war on that front.

The Government tried to identify the most effective poster style. One government commissioned study concluded that the best posters were those that made a direct, emotional appeal and presented realistic pictures in photographic detail. The study found that symbolic or humorous posters attracted less attention, made a less favorable impression, and did not inspire enthusiasm. Nevertheless, many symbolic and humorous posters were judged to be outstanding in national poster competitions during the war.

This enormous 40 x 60” poster was a product of one of those realistic pictures in photographic detail produced. The poster features a U.S. Army pilot in flight, giving thumbs-up signal out of the cockpit with airplanes in background.

The poster reads:

“you buy ‘em
we’ll fly ‘em!”

DEFENSE
BONDS
STAMPS

The image on the poster is absolutely beautiful and without damage, besides fold marks being present and slight separation in the center fold. Once laid out and framed with a narrow matted border, this image would look phenomenal! You can never go wrong with wanting to add Air Corps related items to your collections. This is one of the largest propaganda posters we’ve ever seen, even larger than the French WWI posters. It will become the centerpiece of any propaganda collection. The bottom of the poster reads Form D.S.S. 178B and U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1942-O-436100.

The poster comes ready to be mounted, framed and displayed.