Fighting on the Home Front: Propaganda Posters of World War II

At the Grosse Pointe War Memorial

The Detroit Historical Society is presenting a new traveling exhibition of World War II posters from its collections open to the public September 9 through Sunday, November 16 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, located at 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms. 

In a pre-televised age, visual advertising was dominated by talented illustrators. During World War II, the U.S. Government utilized these artists’ talents to create posters that delivered important messages at a single glance. 

We now consider them art, but these posters had a very real job during the war. They encouraged and informed the average American on how they could help win the war. Posters promoted the purchasing of war bonds, growing and canning food and taking war jobs to aid in the war effort. 

The posters in this exhibition were chosen for their diverse themes and messages, as well as their graphic appeal. These posters reflect the themes of recruitment, patriotism, conservation and security. Everyone could do their part to win the war, and these posters showed them how.

For more information on renting this exhibit, contact Tracy Irwin, Director of Exhibitions and Collections, at 313.833.1405 or via email at tracyi@detroithistorical.org.

Artist James Montgomery Flagg was the man who cemented the image of Uncle Sam that we know today. He used himself as the model in the original “I Want You” poster.