| u0003_0004200_0000008 |
| Title | The Camp Library is Yours |
| Creator | C.B. Falls |
| Date | 1917 |
| Format | 28 x 33 in |
| Description | C.B. Falls was a respected illustrator whose posters for the American Library Association were prominent during WWI and WWII. The term “total war” is regularly used to describe these major conflicts because they involved nearly every segment of American culture and industry. As this poster demonstrates, even libraries took part in the war effort, in this case by providing soldiers with recreational reading material. The poster depicts a soldier casually sitting on the ground with his legs extended and crossed, diligently reading a book adorned in a bright orange cover. While the soldier himself is drawn with detail, he is resting on a nondescript green platform in front of an equally nondescript black backdrop. Beside and below the soldier are two white boxes with text informing soldiers where they can locate the books, and persuading them that “Good reading will help you advance.” The text even goes so far as to state that soldiers should “READ TO WIN THE WAR.” The soldier’s clean uniform and nonchalant demeanor suggest that he is on leave or enjoying an interlude between fighting. It has been said that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” and the U.S. military was concerned with how soldiers spent their downtime during this period. Several propaganda posters not included in this collection warn soldiers against having sex with prostitutes to avoid the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. While Fall’s poster may not have been entirely successful in convincing soldiers to forego the temptations of sex and drugs, it does provide a more wholesome alternative for how soldiers could spend their time overseas. |
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