War Effort Mobilization Campaigns Poster collection, 1942-1945

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Summary

Creator:
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History
Extent:
3 Linear Feet
240 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.01342

Background

Scope and content:

The War Effort Mobilization Campaigns Poster Collection spans the years 1942-1945 and contains miniature reproductions of billboards designed by the War Advertising Council that advertise various government campaigns during World War II. A broad range of campaigns are represented in this collection, including war bonds, civilian employment, women’s Naval Reserve (WAVES) service, food rationing, civil defense, and fire prevention. Campaigns were approved by various government agencies. The Treasury Department is the most heavily represented agency in this collection, but other agencies such as the Office of Civilian Defense, the War Food Administration, the War Manpower (or Man Power) Commission, the National Housing Administration, and the Office of War Information are also included. Most of the posters are in full color and feature images depicting scenes involving military activity, civilian and family life, women’s war contributions, and patriotic symbolism. Many of the posters come with attached promotional literature or form part of "sales kits" designed to encourage businesses to purchase and sponsor a billboard to promote war effort campaigns in their community.

Included in the collection are examples of outdoor advertising for the Second through the Seventh War Loan drives. Examples of advertising for the First Bond drive (which was primarily promoted through newspapers and radio advertising) and the Eighth War Loan campaign may be found in the Ad*Access collection on the Web.

The War Effort Mobilization Campaigns collection consists of two series. The H.E. Fisk War Poster Collection Series contains war effort posters collected in a scrapbook by H.E. Fisk, an executive of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). The War Effort Sample Posters Series contains a wide range of war effort posters. There is some overlap between the two series.

Related materials may also be found in the R.C. Maxwell Company Records, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Archives, the J. Walter Thompson Co. Archives: World War II Advertising Collection, and the Advertising Council Records. For additional information on advertising campaigns during World War II, please see http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/wwad-history.html for an article titled "Brief History of World War II Advertising Campaigns." This article, part of the Ad*Access on-line image database, highlights six major advertising initiatives including the conservation, V-mail, and war bond campaigns.

Biographical / historical:

Advertising campaigns that supported the war effort were designed by the War Advertising Council and approved by appropriate U. S. government agencies during World War II. Actual advertisements were in turn sponsored by various businesses which would often add the company name to the ads. Although it appears that the Outdoor Advertising Association of America played some role in the sale or distribution of billboard advertisements, that role within the context of this collection is unclear.

Acquisition information:
The War Effort Mobilization Campaigns Poster Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a transfer in 1996.
Processing information:

Processed by Don Sechler, Richard Collier

Accessions 1998-0101 and 2000-0329 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

Completed February 3, 2004

Encoded by Richard Collier

Processing of this collection was supported in part by gifts from the John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], War Effort Mobilization Campaigns Poster Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.