Buy War Bonds poster with an image of the Concord militiaman statue
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 28.000 inches (71.12 cm) | Width: 21.875 inches (55.563 cm)
Creator(s)
- John Atherton (Artist)
- United States Department of Treasury (Distributor)
- United States Government Printing Office (Printer)
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
Poster from the Buy War Bonds poster series issued by the War Finance division of the US Treasury to encourage the purchase of war bonds and war stamps to support the war effort. It depicts the symbol of the US Savings Bond program, the Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French in Concord, Massachusetts. Professional artists were commissioned to create art for the posters which were distributed to retailers to display. There were 8 war loan drives conducted from 1942 to 1945. The public could purchase a $25 war bond for $18.75 to help pay the military’s expenses. 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. It was considered a patriotic duty and an investment in victory. By the end of the war, 85 million Americans had purchased $185.7 billion dollars worth of bonds.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Offset color lithographic poster with a large green statue of a colonial militiaman with his left hand resting on a plow and his right hand holding a rifle. In the background is a white church with tower and small red buildings, with tall green trees beneath blue clouds against a white background. The slogan is at the center right and at the bottom. It was folded in quarters for mailing convenience.
People
- Atherton, John, 1900-1952.
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Civilian--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- War posters, American--Specimens.
- Savings bonds--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--Finance--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States--Posters--Specimens.
- Patriotism--United States--Posters--Specimens.
Genre
- Posters
- Object