This World War I poster was commissioned by the Federal government in hopes of generating sales of war stamps. Like the war savings bonds,(originally called Defense Bonds) war stamps were a means to generate government funds to pay the price of going to war. The expenses of sending so many troops and substantial equipment support to Europe were straining the reserves of the government. U.S. Savings bonds and war stamps were specifically created to generate a flow of needed money to sustain the effort.

In 1917 the Federal budget was almost equal to the total budget for all the years between 1791 and 1916. Needing still more tax revenue, the War Revenue Act of 1917 lowered exemptions and greatly increased tax rates.

Designed to instill patriotism, confidence, and a positive outlook, War Posters were used extensively during WWI & WWII to assist the military and persuade all Americans to help with the war effort. Using stark imagery to elicit powerful emotions, the posters appealed to people's conscience, fears and ideals of freedom and democracy. The posters called upon every man, woman, and child to make personal sacrifices or adjustments to further the greater national cause. Used for the purposes of recruitment, boosting production, motivation, rationing, conservation, security and financing the War, the posters linked the home front with the military front.

This poster is an example of Library's extensive collection of emphera. As the name would suggest, printed ephemera tends to be transitory documents created for a specific purpose, and intended to be thrown away. The Printed Ephemera Collection at the Library of Congress comprises primary sources relating to the key events of American history, including the Revolutionary War, slavery, the Western land rush, the Civil War, women's suffrage, and the Industrial Revolution. The printed material was produced as the events unfolded and offers unique snapshots of the nation's past.

The Printed Ephemera Collection at the Library of Congress is a rich repository of Americana. In total, the collection comprises 28,000 primary-source items dating from the seventeenth century to the present and encompasses key events and eras in American history. An American Time Capsule, the online presentation of the Printed Ephemera Collection, comprises 17,000 of the 28,000 physical items. While the broadside format represents the bulk of the collection, there are a significant number of leaflets and some pamphlets. Rich in variety, the collection includes proclamations, advertisements, blank forms, programs, election tickets, catalogs, clippings, timetables, and menus. They capture the everyday activities of ordinary people who participated in the events of nation-building and experienced the growth of the nation from the American Revolution through the Industrial Revolution up to present day.

Created/Published : 1918

Creator : Not attributed

Housed in the Manuscripts Division of the Library of Congress

To learn more about the Emphera Collection and the American Time Capsule, click on The American Time Capsule

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Product #: 001daE