Embattled Emblems: Posters and Flags of the First World War
About The Event
On the eve of World War I, President (and former Governor of New Jersey) Woodrow Wilson faced the difficult task of transforming the American people into a pro-war populace willing to make supreme sacrifices for the country. Replete with patriotic images and rhetoric, posters used the power of illustration art to raise money for the war effort and induce a changing American mindset towards war.
Whereas posters formed a chief source of propaganda on the home front, military flags served a similar purpose on the battlefront. Once overseas, the American Expeditionary Force used the patriotic form of the flag – a crucial military tool for centuries – in order to instill identity and pride in regiment, army, and country. The flag, therefore, constituted another highly-visual, motivational device – a device that, like printed posters, functioned to reinforce American commitment to the cause of war.
These “embattled emblems” represent two large bodies of material culture held by the New Jersey State Museum. Timed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the American intervention in World War I, this exhibition presents a unique opportunity to showcase two lesser-known State Museum collections rarely seen by the public.
For more information, visit http://www.state.nj.us/state/museum/ or contact Nicholas Ciotola, Curator of Cultural History, at Nicholas.ciotola@sos.nj.gov.
Contact : Nicholas Ciotola - nicholas.ciotola@sos.nj.gov
Category: Performances & Creative Exhibition, New Jersey, Museums and Exhibitions
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