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Powerful American Propaganda Posters Created During The Great Depression And WWII

The Works Progress Administration was an American Agency formed under the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration to help and deployed the New Deal. It employed millions of people to carry out public work projects.

The WPA also hired writer, illustrators and artists to created illustrations and posters to raise awareness and spread propaganda during the Great Depression and World War II to contribute to the war effort. They set up over 100 art centers around the country that served an estimated eight million individuals. Here below are some of the posters created by WPA.

#1 A WPA poster from 1942 promoting good workplace practices for the war effort during WWII

#2 A WPA poster promoting New Deal Art programs, circa 1937

#3 A Works Progress Administration Poster for statewide Library Project, 1937

#4 Make It Safe: A safety poster created by the Works Progress Administration, circa 1938

#5 Poster for Federal Music Project announcing free instruction in music, 1938

#6 Poster for Federal Theatre Project presentation of “Myra Kinch and Group” in a concert of modern dance at the Hollywood Playhouse, showing a dancer flinging her skirt wide, 1938

#7 WPA poster promoting a healthy, balanced diet, circa 1938

#8 1939 New York World’s Fair poster by Joseph Binder

#9 A poster for the 1939 New York World’s Fair by artist Nembhard N. Culin

#12 A WPA poster referencing the 1939 New York World’s Fair

#13 Know the Facts: A WPA poster, imploring the public to develop critical thinking skills, circa 1939

#16 WWII recruiting poster by artist Ivan Dimitri, 1942

#17 For Defense. Blood means Life. Call Your Red Cross Chapter Today”, 1943

#20 A WWII poster asking civilians to donate their cooking grease waste for making munitions, circa 1943

#21 A WWII propaganda poster from 1943 by Kenny Clayton

#23 The Four Freedoms: Freedom from Fear by Norman Rockwell, February 1943

#24 The Four Freedoms: Freedom from Want by Norman Rockwell, February 1943

#25 The Four Freedoms: Freedom of Speech by Norman Rockwell, February 1943

#26 The Four Freedoms: Freedom of Worship by Norman Rockwell, February 1943

#28 A World War II poster from 1944 promoting workplace eye safety

#30 A Works Progress Administration poster touting the importance of music during World War II

#31 A World War II poster reminding war workers to remain vigilant against Axis saboteurs

#33 A World War II propaganda poster encouraging civilians on the home front to follow wartime rationing guidelines

#34 A WWII poster encouraging Americans to be more informed to defend democratic civic life

#36 Above and Beyond: A WWII poster honoring Navy Cross recipient Dorie Miller, hero of Pearl Harbor

#40 Keep Punching: An American production poster from World War II

#41 Keep Us Flying: Tuskegee Airman William Diez is featured in this World War II plea for Americans to buy war bonds. The poster is one of a series of patriotic posters sponsored by the Office of War Information

#42 Poster promoting conservation of water for the war effort, Raymond Wilcox

#43 WPA poster, urging Americans to become better-informed citizens

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Written by Benjamin Grayson

Former Bouquet seller now making a go with blogging and graphic designing. I love creating & composing history articles and lists.

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