The Iconic I Want You Poster Is Seen for the First Time (The Literary Digest, 1917)
In April, 1917, the call went out to artists of all ages that their talents were badly needed to create new and different sorts of posters that would rally the American masses to the colors. One of the first to answer the call was the celebrated illustrator James Montgomery Flagg ; his first effort, the memorable "I Want You " poster, immediately raised the standards which other artists would have to acknowledge. It was reported that George Creel, the President's appointee for all matters involving such undertakings in the mass-media, hosted a dinner for American illustrators; the evening ended with much clapping and cheering and the next day, one can assume, the poster campaign began in earnest.Click here to read about W.W. I art.
*Click Here to Watch a Short Clip Regarding European WW I Posters*
| W.W. I Poster Art Criticized (Vanity Fair, 1918)
Vanity Fair's art critic, James Frederick Gregg, had a good deal to say concerning the art of the world War One American poster campaign:
"...Indeed, so ineffective have most of the posters been as art, that it is ridiculous to imagine that they have had any effect whatever in stimulating in us the spiritual side of our share in the war."
| Poem: Thoughts Inspired by a 1917 Billboard
The poster campaign of 1917-1918 was not a poetic topic for many, however Wallace Irwin (1876-1959) felt moved to write some light verse on the topic.
| Seven Poster Artists (The Poster, 1920)
Photographic portraits and brief interviews with seven artists who made important contributions to the
poster campaign of 1917 - 1918. Included in the group: James Montgomery Flagg, Clyde Forsythe, Gerrit Baker, J. Scott Williams, L.A. Shafer and Euginie De Land Saugstad.
| George Creel and His Posters (How We Advertised America, 1920)
This essay was written by President Wilson's Director of the Committee on Public Information, George Creel (1876-1953). It first appeared in Creel's post-war memoir, "How We Advertised America" and gives a thorough rundown of the planning and the creativity that went into the mass-production of what is today a highly-prized collectable; the American World War I poster.
Click here to read a 1942 article by Rockwell Kent on the proper roll of American artists during wartime.
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