| u0003_0004200_0000049 |
| Title | The Late Lord Roberts’ Stirring Words |
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| Description | Referencing the words of “Lord Roberts” might not be especially meaningful to Americans today, but for British citizens, especially in the early 20th century, Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts was a celebrated war hero. Roberts died of pneumonia in the opening months of WWI; nevertheless, his words and likeness appeared in multiple propaganda posters to garner public support for the war. This particular poster consists of a long quotation accredited to Roberts in which the leader lambasts those participating in leisurely pursuits such as “CRICKET AND FOOTBALL” when so many were “engaged in a life and death struggle.” American posters, music, and films would deploy a similar rhetorical strategy to discredit opponents of the war by framing them as selfish, weak “slackers.” At the bottom of the poster lies the emotional provocation, “CAN YOU READ THIS UNMOVED?” and yet a more appropriate question might be “Will you read this?” In comparison to American propaganda posters, British posters regularly privilege the written word over the image, placing such appeals at a strategic disadvantage compared to more visually arresting posters designed to grab attention and communicate at a glance. |
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