Vintage Posters, Prints & Works on Paper

FLAGG, James Montgomery (1870-1960). Wake Up America Day. April 19, 1917. Poster printed in bold patriotic colors, depicting a woman running through the night with a lantern and a flag. 41 x 28 3/16”. Restored loss to upper right corner, not affecting image; small spot of over-painting at left margin; trivial short closed tears; minor spotting to image and margins. Linen backed. B+. Flagg’s poster for Wake Up America Day, a celebration in New York City held 13 days after the United States declared war against Germany and entered World War I. The date marked the anniversary of the Revolutionary War battle of Lexington and Paul Revere’s ride. The New York Times, which reported that over 60,000 people took part in the grand parade down 5th Avenue while airplanes flew over the city dropping recruiting leaflets, pronounced that if the effort “did not inspire men to enlist, the volunteer system would have to be considered a hopeless failure.” The event led to a nationwide Wake Up America campaign, which many states participated in to bolster recruitment. Flagg’s design powerfully signals the collective urgency of the conflict, comparing it to a direct threat to liberty and the homeland. It is worth contrasting this with Flagg’s iconic “I Want You,” in which Uncle Sam’s appeal is to the individual viewer.