WORLD WAR I POSTER
A rare American propaganda poster created in 1917 by the famed American painter Howard Chandler Christy, famous for his "Christy Girl" image - a soft-eyed, brunette idealization of feminine beauty. He has painted a "Girl" in a Marine Corps Sergeant's uniform, against a white background, surrounded by text blaring: "IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT! JOIN THE MARINES". The contrasting message of a smiling, carefree American beauty with battle pouches slung over her shoulder clutching a wicked field knife surely turned heads, and certainly influenced recruitment - the Corps entered World War I with 13,214 enlisted troops and finished victoriously behind the strength of 70,000 enlisted personnel. Christy used a photo-offset lithography technique to color-print the poster, and a stencil-based "pochoir" technique to create the text in watercolor. The poster is encased in a gilt frame measuring 33" x 43". Minor staining on top left edge, else fine. Not examined out of frame .