Variation on a WWI poster

Variation on a WWI poster

Just as posters in the First World War worked to rally Americans behind a national effort, various levels of government and private institutions made a similar push in the fight against COVID-19. This variation on a WWI poster features Uncle Sam handing the viewer a mask while simultaneously pointing to a soldier and a nurse who both did their part in a bygone era. The poster reads: “They served our country. It’s your turn. Wear a Mask.” The message is clear in noting that it’s up to the viewer to pull their weight in the fight against COVID, but is less direct in establishing how the three efforts—World War I, World War II, and the Coronavirus pandemic—would require similar sacrifices. While the poster equates the wars with the pandemic in that a community effort is the only solution, it also trivializes the needed effort in 2020 relative to that of 1917 or 1941. The simple task of putting on a mask is all the viewer must do. They are not being asked to land on the beaches of Normandy.

Zac Dickhut

November 20, 2020

Zac Dickhut

Paper Drawing

8.5" x 11"