Food

u0003_0004200_0000017
Title Food
Creator Frederic G. Cooper
Date 1918
Format 21 x 29 in
Description Fred G. Cooper was an American cartoonist, and Executive Board member of the government’s Committee on Public Information. This is the third poster in the collection from a campaign Cooper did for the U.S. Food Administration to change the food consumption habits of viewers. After officially entering the war, the U.S. needed large quantities of imperishable goods for soldiers and Allies overseas, and this poster provides six specific rules in order to avoid food waste. Before the war, Cooper was known for his ability to create humorous illustrations, but in this campaign, the artist uses minimal color, direct messages, and large text to efficiently communicate information without emotion. George Creel, Director of the Committee on Public Information, was displeased with the quality of early posters, and called on artists to strive for greater emotional impact. While Cooper’s poster succeeds in the area of clarity, it fails to fully embrace the potential of images to provoke emotions.
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