--- description: World War I propaganda posters were marvels of graphic design, created with one aim in mind: to get the viewer to stop, read -- and act. title: World War I Posters: The Graphic Art of Propaganda image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad0ef92063aa4272/69884c0535ba6f8679c0cda9/140619-loc-wwi-poster-091.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # World War I Posters: The Graphic Art of Propaganda by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 26, 2014 1:07 AM CUT  James Montgomery Flagg, artist; c. 1917. James Montgomery Flagg, artist; c. 1917.Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 26, 2014 1:07 AM CUT  "I Want You . . ." World War I recruitment poster; James Montgomery Flagg, artist. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  World War I poster; Harry Hopps, artist; c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Poster showing a drowned or drowning woman passenger from the Lusitania cradling an infant; Fred Spear, artist; c. 1915-16. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Gee!! I wish I were a man, I'd join the Navy. . ." Howard Chandler Christy, artist; c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Joseph Pennell, artist; c. 1918. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  World War I poster, c. 1914. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Harry S. Mueller, artist. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Our boys need sox . . ." Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  James Montgomery Flagg, artist; c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Don't waste food while others starve!" Circa 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  George L. Carlson, artist. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Third Liberty Loan, c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Thrift Stamps, c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Thrift Stamps, c. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Uphold Our Honor . . ." Circa 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "E-e-e-yah-yip . . ." Circa 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Your chums are fighting -- why aren't you?" Circa 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  Red Cross Week, c. 1914. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "An education for you . . ." Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division  "Not just hats off . . ." Circa 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3881351/world-war-i-posters-the-graphic-art-of-propaganda/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3881351/world-war-i-posters-the-graphic-art-of-propaganda/"},"headline":"World War I Posters: The Graphic Art of Propaganda","datePublished":"2014-10-26T01:07:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:35.091Z","description":"The countless recruitment and propaganda posters produced during World War I were marvels of graphic design, created with one aim in mind: to get the viewer to stop, read -- and act.","url":"https://time.com/3881351/world-war-i-posters-the-graphic-art-of-propaganda/","keywords":["war","photography","World War I","propaganda","Ben Cosgrove","Liz Ronk","Library of Congress"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad0ef92063aa4272/69884c0535ba6f8679c0cda9/140619-loc-wwi-poster-091.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ben Cosgrove","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad0ef92063aa4272/69884c0535ba6f8679c0cda9/140619-loc-wwi-poster-091.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Wake up America Day - April 19, 1917","caption":"James Montgomery Flagg, artist; c. 1917.","creditText":"Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3881351/world-war-i-posters-the-graphic-art-of-propaganda/","name":"World War I Posters: The Graphic Art of Propaganda"}}]}] ```