| u0003_0004200_0000097 |
| Title | U.S. Marines |
| Creator | L. A. Shafer |
| Date | 1917 |
| Format | 30 x 40 in |
| Description | L.A. Shafer illustrated multiple WWI propaganda posters, many of which share maritime themes, and in this poster, he repeats a common promotional slogan for the U.S. Marines, “FIRST TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY,” a clear reference to President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration that war against Germany was needed to make the world “safe for democracy.” Once the U.S. officially entered WWI, propaganda posters took heightened interest in recruiting servicemen to quickly amass volunteers without relying too heavily on forced conscription. The poster overflows with masculinity as a means to attract the attention of its audience. Five Marines in brightly colored uniforms are shown in the process of reloading a recently fired cannon on the deck of a ship. War has long been imagined as a testing ground for masculinity, and several propaganda posters feature men working around phallic objects. The long, smoking cannon pierces the golden sky, and in the top right corner of the image is the phallus’s target, a German Zeppelin slightly above the exploding projectiles. It is likely that the copy of this poster in the collection was not in circulation because no specific address was added in the space provided to instruct viewers where to enlist. |
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