World War II Posters in Color

World War II Posters in Color is a collection of 245 original posters from WWII related to savings and investment, productivity and invention, service and support, environmentalism and conservation, security and trust, freedom and sacrifice, friends and allies, health and safety, and victory gardens. In 1942, after the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the federal government started producing and distributing informational materials to attract and encourage public support for the money, material resources, labor, and personal sacrifices needed to mount a successful war effort. President Franklin Roosevelt created the Office of War Information (OWI). One of the functions of the OWI was the distribution of posters. The OWI distributed posters on a national scale to post offices, schools, and railroad stations. They also depended on local civic groups to distribute posters. Defense Councils in each community were instructed to form a committee to regularly receive posters. The committee determined the number needed by the community, selected posting locations, and set up a route and distribution system. New posters were distributed at the beginning of each month and were put up as soon as possible.