WWII Poster…

And we come back around to the Army.

This one is a bit different, but interesting… Done in 1941.

WW II_US_Army_1LG

 

From the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula website.

Beall did these ‘composite’ water colors quite often, and this one is interesting in that it also includes a Sailor in the poster, but it’s an Army recruiting poster…  Another reason for choosing this, is once again the WWI helmet, and again it looks like an O3 has an early ‘Gas Trap’ M-1 with an M1905 on the end of it.

Cecil Calvert Beall’s works were regularly featured in the Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s, illustrations done mostly in watercolor. In 1936 Beall painted a portrait of President Roosevelt for the cover of Collier’s, after which he was appointed art director for the National Democratic Committee. During World War II, he continued to produce a popular series of Collier’s cover illustrations depicting decorated WWII war heroes in addition to contributing war-related reportage. At the end of the war, Beall was one of the few aboard the U.S.S. Missouri to record the Japanese surrender ceremony.

Jack Childs did the poem in the lower left corner, as follows:

Keep ’em flying. Keep ’em flying – airplanes, flags, machines, production – nothing lags. Put your shoulder to the wheel; courage staunch with nerves of steel … Here’s a slogan for us all – an answer to our country’s call … so – “Keep ’em fighting”

Comments

WWII Poster… — 11 Comments

  1. The art, the message, the ‘heart’ of the poster is so different from today and the “army of one”. Naturally, my default is back then not now, in terms of what they said and how they said it.

    Does that mean that I’m a dinosaur?

  2. I don’t know.
    “Keep ’em flying” calls for more of an AAF motif than a lone airman in the background, I would think.
    It’s even got a farmer!

  3. The rifle is an early version of the M1. Collectors call it a gas trap.

  4. LL- Yep, you and me both!

    Ed- Showing it was a ‘team’ effort!

    Carb2- Thanks, I wasn’t sure. I’ll fix it!

  5. That’s exactly how I look when I stand post. Minus the helmet. And decent battle rifle. And bayonet. lol.

    Love how the war time roles for women are shown, and are yet still feminine.

  6. SPE- LOL, and yes they DO show the women…

    NC- 🙂 Down boy, that could be your mother! 🙂

    WSF- I try…

    Rick- Thanks!