US careless talk text only orange poster insisting on silence about the war on Japan
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 26.000 inches (66.04 cm) | Width: 17.375 inches (44.133 cm)
Creator(s)
- United States Office of Naval Intelligence (Issuer)
- United States Government Printing Office (Printer)
- United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (Issuer)
- United States War Department (Distributor)
Archival History
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988 by David and Zelda Silberman.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of David and Zelda Silberman
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Text only US careless talk poster warning people that they must say nothing related to the war in Japan: the US was readying for the final phase, the enemy was desperate, and their spies had obtained useful information in the past. This Urgent Notice poster was issued in the name of the directors of Naval Intelligence and the FBI, who were responsible for espionage and counter-espionage. The careless talk series of US propaganda posters began as an Army Services project, distributed by the Office of War Information, which was created in June 1942, to manage the war on the Home Front. OWI controlled the design and distribution of war information to the American public. The careless talk series originated in 1940 in Great Brian. It highlighted the many ways that careless talk could leak sensitive information that our enemies would use to kill soldiers, sink ships, and undermine the war effort.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Text only poster with black ink text on a dark orange field with a black border. There is a top heading, URGENT NOTICE, in very large font, then 4 enumerated warnings, followed by official signatures. On the back is printed postal information.
Subjects
- Espionage--United States--Prevention--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--Covert operations--Posters--Specimens.
- War posters, American--Specimens.
- Propaganda, American--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--United States--Posters.
- National security--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- United States--Social life and customs--1918-1945--Posters--Specimens.
Genre
- Object
- Posters