Overview
- Brief Narrative
- American war bond poster printed in 1945, featuring a clenched fist holding war bonds superimposed in front of the Statue of Liberty’s arm and torch. The symbolism of the image implies that purchasing war bonds was a way the public could support and protect American liberty, represented by the Statue of Liberty’s torch, which is also the lone light in the night sky. The United States Government offered the public the opportunity to purchase war bonds, and return them for reimbursement at a later date. Purchasing bonds was considered patriotic and an investment in victory. U.S. posters tended to focus on patriotic themes and appeals to emotion to garner support. War bond advertisement posters were issued by the United States Treasury Department to encourage the purchase of war bonds and war stamps. There were eight war loan drives conducted from 1942 to 1945. The public could purchase a $25 war bond for $18.75, which would be used to help finance the war effort. The war bond could be redeemed 10 years after the purchase for the full $25. Bond quotas were set up on the national, state, county, and town levels to encourage the sale of war bonds. Volunteers went door-to-door to sell war bonds. By the end of the war, 85 million Americans had purchased over $185 billion in war bonds.
- Artwork Title
- 85 Million Americans Hold War Bonds
- Series Title
- Buy War Bonds
- Date
-
publication/distribution:
1945
- Geography
-
publication:
Washington (D.C.)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection. The acquisition of this collection was made possible by the Crown Family.
- Markings
- front, bottom right, printed, white ink : 85 / MILLION / AMERICANS / HOLD / WAR BONDS
front, bottom left corner, within border, printed, black ink : [star] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1945—O-629877
front, bottom center, within border, printed, black ink : OFFICIAL U.S. TREASURY POSTER
front, bottom right corner, within border, printed, black ink : WFD 983-C - Contributor
-
Distributor:
United States Department of Treasury
Publisher: United States Government Printing Office
Distributor: United States Treasury Department War Finance Division
Physical Details
- Language
- English
- Classification
-
Posters
- Category
-
War propaganda
- Object Type
-
Posters, American (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Posters.
- Physical Description
- Poster printed on rectangular, mediumweight off-white paper with an image of a man’s raised hand clutching war bonds, mirroring the raised arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty in the background. The man’s raised right hand and forearm are in the foreground, and he is holding several 100-dollar war bonds. The Statue of Liberty’s right arm holds the torch high, and lights up the starry night sky. Large, white text is in the lower right corner, and the poster has a narrow, off-white border with small, black text along the bottom. There are two handwritten, cursive inscriptions on the back. The paper is folded into sixteenths with faint discoloration along the creases.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 40.000 inches (101.6 cm) | Width: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)
- Materials
- overall : paper, ink, pencil
- Inscription
- back, bottom right edge, handwritten, pencil : War Bonds · SOL arm/ Flame
back, top right, handwritten, pencil : Mrs. Erdman / Aug. 1945
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Patriotism--United States--Posters. Savings bonds--United States--Posters. War posters, American. World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States--Posters. World War, 1939-1945--Finance--United States--Posters. World War, 1939-1945--United States--Posters. Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.) in art. Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.)--Pictorial works. Symbolism in art. World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States. Executive departments
- Geographic Name
- New York (N.Y.) United States
- Corporate Name
- United States. Department of the Treasury
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The poster was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016.
- Funding Note
- The acquisition of this artifact was made possible by the Crown Family.
The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-10-03 11:00:03
- This page:
- http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn531088
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- By Appointment
- Request 21 Days in Advance of Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
- Request to See This Object
