That Liberty Shall Not Perish
SKU N-06-6033
That Liberty Shall Not Perish
Dimensions: 20" (w) x 28" (h)
During World War I, the government sold "Liberty Bonds" also known as the "Liberty Loans". These bonds raised money for the war effort and were marketed as the "patriotic" thing to do at the time. The government used famous artists as well as movie stars to help increase sales. Most actors addressed crowds at bond rallies, but Charlie Chaplin made his own film, The Bond, at his expense. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts assisted in the sale of Liberty Bonds through their "Every Scout to Save a Soldier" campaign. This particular poster was drawn by Joseph Pennell and was produced circa 1918 by the Advertising Section within the Educational Division of the U.S. Food Administration. It depicts New York harbor under Naval and Aerial bombardment and the Statue of Liberty missing its head and torch. The statement underneath the scene encourages the onlooker to "buy bonds or else".
This poster can be found as a photomechanical print in Record Group 4: Records of the U.S. Food Administration, 1917-1920 in the Still Picture Records Section of the Special Media Archives Service Division at Archives II in College Park, Maryland.
--description by Cyrus Sethna
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