Propaganda on all Fronts: United States & International Posters, 1917–1945, features over 40 posters and related material drawn from three historic collections in Milner Library’s Government Documents World War Poster Collection.
Primary source material extend from the Great War through the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympics to the end of the Second World War. Items illustrate how governments across the globe sought to influence public opinion to those on the home front and frontlines. These iconic visual artifacts share the common goal of communicating with, and influencing, a mass audience in public, civic spaces.
World War I Posters—A collection of over 100 WWI United States posters from federal agencies and national organizations after the United States entered the war in 1917
German Propaganda: The 1936 Berlin Olympics—A 72-page German-created Nazi propaganda piece, American Illustrated News, targeted for international spectators and press of the XIth Olympiad
Art of Persuasion—More than 500 United States and international WWII posters created by government agencies, organizations and companies from 1941–1945
At the centenary of the United States’ entry into the First World War, it is an appropriate occasion to honor those who participated, served and sacrificed during the Great War. Illinois State (Normal) University played an integral role during the war; names of 728 ISNU affiliates, photographs, biographical sketches and audio recordings of letters written during the war accompany the WWI posters. Similarly, one of Illinois State University’s Hall of Fame athletes, Tidye Pickett, is highlighted in the exhibit. Pickett holds the distinction of being the first African American woman in the world to compete in the Olympics, one of 18 African Americans representing the United States in the Berlin Games.