Burdick, (Charles B.) War Poster Collection, 1914-1979, bulk 1914-1945

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Summary

Title:
Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection
Dates:
1914-1979, bulk 1914-1945
Creators:
Burdick, Charles Burton, 1927-1998
Abstract:
The Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection 1914-1979 (bulk 1914-1945) is a graphic art collection of posters documenting World War I and World War II. The collection consists of over 1,400 posters created by both the United States and foreign nations. War posters were used as propaganda to sell the war to the American public. The posters generally defined war as a struggle between good and evil, and featured the sale of liberty bonds to protect American democracy. A broad range of topics are represented in the collection, including war bonds, civilian employment, women's service in the military, food rationing, and fire prevention. The collection also includes posters documenting political subject matter from the 1930s-1970s. This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. World War I Posters, 1914-1918; Series II. World War II Posters, 1939-1945; and Series III. Political Posters, 1930s-1970s.
Extent:
122 Folders, 1,452 Posters
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English , Filipino , French , German , Hungarian , Polish , Russian , Spanish , and Swedish .
Preferred citation:

Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection, MSS-2010-02-02, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection 1914-1979 (bulk 1914-1945) is a graphic art collection of posters documenting World War I and World War II. The collection consists of over 1,400 posters created by both the United States and foreign nations. War posters were used as propaganda to sell the war to the American public. The posters generally defined war as a struggle between good and evil, and featured the sale of liberty bonds to protect American democracy. A broad range of topics are represented in the collection, including war bonds, civilian employment, women's service in the military, food rationing, and fire prevention The collection also includes posters documenting political subject matter from the 1930s-1970s.

Biographical / historical:

Between World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government used propaganda through the mass production of war posters, pamphlets, billboards, advertisements, and film to foster broad-based support of the two wars. In World War I, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was organized to shape public opinion in favor of U.S. war aims. Civilian chairman, journalist George Creel, enlisted the creative talent of over 150,000 people to produce over 100 million pieces of literature and visual materials in order to explain the meaning and cause of the war to the American public. During World II, the War Advertising Council (WAC) produced a similar volume of war propaganda materials.

The U.S. government used propaganda posters as a powerful mass communication tool to build support for the war effort. Throughout both wars, posters were created to boost morale, increase patriotic sentiment, promote the purchase of war bonds, offer guidelines for food rationing, and promote civilian and military war work, while demonizing countries such as Germany, Japan, Spain, and Italy. Various government agencies worked closely with private organizations such as the YWCA and the Red Cross to produce a variety of posters that supported the war, and specifically targeted women to conserve, to work in war industries, and to consider military service.

Included in this collection are posters that depict the aggression of the Germans against the vulnerability of neighboring countries, such as the experience of Belgium. One such example graphically projects the imagery of the Belgium people victimized by the Germans as invading Huns. In WWII, both the United States and England also utilized the "First to Fight" poster campaign to portray the Germans and the Japanese in an unfavorable light. Many of these posters used less offensive techniques to engender support from American women by targeting their responsibilities as patriots through military service as WAVES, WACS, and as Red Cross nurses, while the iconic image of "Rosie the Riveter" and slogans like "Yes We Can!" encouraged both married and single women to enter the workforce in unprecedented numbers.

Acquisition information:
This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008.The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Rosalinda Gonzales. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. World War I Posters, 1914-1918; Series II. World War II Posters, 1939-1945; and Series III. Political Posters, 1930s-1970s.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Bibliography:

Bird, William L. <em>Design for Victory: World War II Posters on the American Home Front.</em> 1st ed. Rubenstein, Harry R. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1998.

Paret, Peter. <em>Persuasive Images: Posters of War and Revolution from the Hoover Institution Archives.</em> Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1992.

Price, Sean. <em>The Art of War: the Posters of World War II.</em> Chicago: Raintree, 2009.

About this collection guide

Date Prepared:
© 2010
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Rosalinda Gonzales. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: March 15, 2010.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection, MSS-2010-02-02, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Location of this collection:
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0028, US
Contact:
408-808-2062
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Website