Chicago ad man Lew Shalett recognized that motivating American war workers was not simply essential - it was also a business opportunity. As the war began he put to use all his sociological know-how and his numerous connections in the printing world and dreamed up a line of posters intended to elevate employee morale. The posters proved to be quite popular:
"Shalett sells the posters in sets of 30 - one a week for 30 weeks. Many large companies, including Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp., have bought up to 500 sets. And although his is purely a commercial venture he has won the government's approval: Vaughn Flannery, chief of the OFF's graphics division, recently wired him [saying] "They are among the finest war posters prepared by anyone to date. Congratulations."
The Smithsonian had something to say about these posters, click here to read it...
More of these posters can be seen at the Poster Museum.
Click here to learn more about the American W.W. II home front...
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