Pre-WWII mobilization and propaganda had primed the American people, but the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 brought the war to the American people’s doorstep. The attack was the final push the American people needed to commit to the war efforts fully. Thus, the U.S. government now had the support (and was fueled)- there was no longer a need to play the waiting or “what if” game…now it was all about the victory. The Pearl Harbor attack affected the country in multiple ways, including its influence on the unity, fear, and shift in focus of the American people from isolationism to active involvement in WWII. The historical significance of Pearl Harbor was a pivotal moment in U.S. history that changed the course of the nation’s mobilization, participation in the war and Art.
Once the U.S. entered the war, the propaganda intensified, and Americans were called to action, and artists were no exception.
The 1942 National War Poster Competition was sponsored by Artists for Victory, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Council for Democracy. Artists for Victory (AFV) was a non-profit organization that utilized artistic skills and specialized training in the U.S. government’s World War II efforts. The Competition aimed to offer American artists an opportunity to contribute to their country during a crisis and demonstrate the power of Art in achieving victory. The posters produced during the Competition served as a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of visual messages. Even during wartime, Art remained the most effective medium for connecting with the general public, as shown by these posters. The goal of the Competition was to create images that would inspire Americans to contribute to the war effort.
The posters portrayed eight themes selected from the U.S. President’s State of the Union Address to Congress on January 6, 1942, and 20 slogans. The eight war themes selected were Production, War Bonds, The Nature of the Enemy, Loose Talk, Slave World, and Free World. The People are on the March and Deliver Us From Evil.
The National War Poster Competition achieved significant success, with 200 posters showcased at MoMA from November 25, 1942, to January 3, 1943. The exhibition’s popularity prompted it to evolve into a traveling display across the United States, effectively highlighting the significance of the “Art-in-War” endeavor. In 1943, in pursuit of an even broader audience, the Artists for Victory group carefully selected 50 impactful posters to create a full sheet of 50 stamps to showcase WWII posters from the 1942 National War Poster Competition.
These 50 posters were selected from the entries and turned into miniature labels for the Artist’s Victory Exhibit. The Ever Ready Label Corp. produced and distributed them. These labels (stamps) were crucial in conveying powerful messages throughout the United States. A staggering “500,000,000” copies were printed, intended for use on various platforms such as correspondence, packages, envelopes, and more, ensuring their reach to nearly every individual in the country.
Sources:
- Allan M. Winkler, Home Front U.S.A.: America during World War II (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012)
- Wendy Toon, “‘Real War Ammunition:’ Artists for Victory, the National War Poster Competition, and the Hostile Imagination on the United States World War II Home Front,” The Journal of American Culture 45, no. 1
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, January 06, 1942
- Memo: President FDR Congratulates 2,200 Artists of the Country on Response to National War Poster Competition