| u0003_0004200_0000047 |
| Title | War Clouds Gather |
| Creator | Hazel Roberts |
| Date | 1917 |
| Format | 20 x 25 in |
| Description | The poster “WAR CLOUDS GATHER!” might not initially stand out to contemporary viewers as particularly noteworthy, but it is unique among images in this collection. The poster is exceedingly rare as it is one of the few created by a female artist. Hazel Roberts’s poster for the Navy League, a civilian organization dedicated to supporting the U.S. Navy, was published in 1917, and based on the tone of the content, the image may be part of the preparedness movement that took place before the U.S. officially entered the conflict. The image depicts a white, male bugler dressed in a blue uniform, staring resolutely into a distant horizon that is darkly shaded. The ominous color on the borders of the frame, along with the edge of an American flag on the right side of the image, serve as a visual complement for the verbal metaphor presented in the text below that “WAR CLOUDS” are gathering. In the face of the coming storm, a clear reference to the violence overseas, the sailor’s erect posture communicates masculine strength and confidence. The perspective places the viewer behind the sailor, which results in one of the only WWI posters in which the subject’s back is turned on the audience. Although ambiguity exists, the text stating “‘MANHOOD WILLING BUT UNARMED’” suggests that while the young man has courage and strength, he is in need of supplies and domestic support. |
| Copyright and Terms | Images are in the public domain or protected under U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code), and both types may be used for research and private study. For publication, commercial use, or reproduction, in print or digital format, of all images and/or the accompanying data, users are required to secure prior written permission from the copyright holder and from archives@ua.edu. When permission is granted, please credit the images as Courtesy of The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections. |