Remember Your First Thrill of American Liberty

u0003_0004200_0000079
Title Remember Your First Thrill of American Liberty
Creator Sackett & Wilhelms Corp.
Date 1917
Format 20 x 30 in
Description This promotional poster for purchasing war bonds published by the Sackett & Willhelms Corporation in 1917 invokes the sentimentality of coming to America in order to persuade immigrants to support the war effort. The poster offers a poetic account of immigrants traveling by boat and being welcomed by Lady Liberty. The perspective of the image places the viewer on the vessel itself, thus inviting the audience to recall their own experiences and identify with other citizens who came to America seeking a better life. The top portion of the poster asks the viewer in clear, red lettering to remember their “First Thrill of American Liberty,” and then reminds them at the bottom in bold, blue text of their “DUTY” to support their new homeland by buying government bonds. Cultural assimilation was a key concern during this time period, and the poster attempts to unify people of diverse ethnic and national backgrounds through the use of a homogenizing, and patriotic, color-scheme.
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