10 each of this 1980 reproduction ICONIC Recruiting poster - " I WANT YOU FOR U. S. ARMY " by James Montgomery Flagg. Measures 11" x 14" and on heavy card stock. Must be shipped flat. In the lower right corner is printed " RPI-223 September 1980 - U. S. Government Printing Office 1980 - 651 - 116/4. They are in Excellent NEW condition. No flaws or defects. Insured USPS Priority mail shipping in the Continental US. 

World War I produced one of the most memorable images in American history: the U.S. Army recruiting poster that depicts a commanding Uncle Sam pointing his finger at the viewer and urging young men to enlist in the war effort. Painted by noted U.S. illustrator James Montgomery Flagg, the image first appeared on the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie’s Weekly magazine with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” The U.S. would not declare war on Germany until April of the next year, but the storm signals were clear. The image was later adapted by the U.S. Army for the poster with the new, unforgettable call to action. More than 4 million copies of it were printed between 1917 and 1918.

James Montgomery Flagg (June 18, 1877 – May 27, 1960) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters.[1]

Flagg was born on June 18, 1877 in Pelham, New York.[1] He was enthusiastic about drawing from a young age, and had illustrations accepted by national magazines by the age of 12 years. By 14, he was a contributing artist for Life magazine, and the following year was on the staff of another magazine, Judge.[2]

From 1894 through 1898, he attended the Art Students League of New York. He studied fine art in London and Paris from 1898 to 1900, after which he returned to the United States, where he produced countless illustrations for books, magazine covers, political and humorous cartoons, advertising, and spot drawings. Among his creations was a comic strip that appeared regularly in Judge from 1903 until 1907, about a tramp character titled Nervy Nat.[3][4]

In 1915, he accepted commissions from Calkins and Holden to create advertisements for Edison Photo and Adler Rochester Overcoats but only on the condition that his name would not be associated with the campaign.[5]


The grave of James Montgomery Flagg in Woodlawn Cemetery
He created his most famous work in 1917, a poster to encourage recruitment in the United States Army during World War I. It showed Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer (inspired by a British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in a similar pose) with the caption “I Want YOU for U.S. Army”.[6] Flagg had first created the image for the July 6, 1916 cover of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper with the headline “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?”[7][8] Over four million copies of the poster were printed during World War I, and it was revived for World War II. Flagg used his own face for that of Uncle Sam (adding age and the white goatee), he said later, simply to avoid the trouble of arranging for a model.[7] President Franklin Delano Roosevelt praised his resourcefulness for using his own face as the model. By some accounts though, Flagg had a neighbor, Walter Botts, pose for the piece.

At his peak, Flagg was reported to have been the highest-paid magazine illustrator in America.[9] He worked for the Saturday Evening Post and Collier's which were two of the most popular U.S. journals.[10] In 1946, Flagg published his autobiography, Roses and Buckshot. Apart from his work as an illustrator, Flagg painted portraits which reveal the influence of John Singer Sargent. Flagg's sitters included Mark Twain and Ethel Barrymore; his portrait of Jack Dempsey now hangs in the Great Hall of the National Portrait Gallery. In 1948, he appeared in a Pabst Blue Ribbon magazine ad which featured the illustrator working at an easel in his New York studio with a young lady standing at his side and a tray with an open bottle of Pabst and two filled glasses sat before them.[11]

In Flagg’s later years, when his failing eyesight forced him to abandon his art, he often took out his frustrations on his friends and himself.[12] He died on May 27, 1960, in New York City.[1] He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

Legacy
Fort Knox, Kentucky, has a parade field named for and dedicated to Flagg. It is called Flagg Field and located behind the Fort Knox Hotel. Fort Knox is also the home of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which borders Flagg Field.[citation needed]

Flagg spent summers in Biddeford Pool, Maine, and his home, the James Montgomery Flagg House, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[13]

James Montgomery Flagg was born in New York in 1877. As a child he began to draw and sold his first drawing at the age of 12. Two years later he was contributing to Life Magazine and at fifteen was on the staff of the The Judge. Flagg studied at the Arts Students League in New York. When he was twenty, he spent a year working in London before moving on to France. Flagg was one of America's leading illustrators. His illustrations were in Photoplay, McClure's Magazine, Collier's Weekly, Ladies' Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, Saturday Evening Post and Harper's Weekly. During the First World War Flagg designed 46 posters for the government. His most famous work is the Uncle Sam poster with the caption "I Want You for the U.S. Army". An adapted version of this poster was also used during the Second World War. James Montgomery Flagg died in 1960.

The use of posters as propaganda took off during World War I, and some of the most iconic images from this era are still in use today.  For example, the image of Uncle Sam pointing at viewers and saying, "I WANT YOU," created by James Montgomery Flagg, dates from 1916 and was subsequently used throughout the rest of World War I, repurposed for World War II, and is still identifiable to many people today.  The popularity of posters during World War I speaks to how effectively they could reach and influence the American people, conveying information while attempting to affect behavior.

Many of the posters were commissioned by the Committee on Public Information's Division of Pictorial Publicity.  George Creel, chair of the committee, felt strongly that posters would be extremely important in influencing Americans’ feelings: "I had the conviction that the poster must play a great role in the right for public opinion. The printed word might not be read; people might choose not to attend meetings or to watch motion pictures, but the billboard was something that caught even the most indifferent eye . . ."[1]

Other organizations heavily involved in the war and war relief efforts, such as the U.S. Army, the YMCA, and the Red Cross, also commissioned their own posters from artists.  The proliferation of posters put out by the government and other organizations served to motivate and influence the American people in a variety of ways.  Some simply aimed to promote patriotism and to encourage public support of the war.  However, many took this aim a step further by encouraging enlistment, promoting Liberty Bonds, and recruiting volunteers for a variety of work on the home front.  Posters attempted to reach these goals by speaking to different audiences in a variety of ways.  For example, to promote enlistment a poster could tell men that Uncle Sam wanted them for the U.S. Army; it could play on feelings of guilt for men who did not enlist; it could convince mothers and wives that they needed to tell the men in their lives to enlist; or it could show enticing, heroic action on the battlefield.

The depiction and usage of women in World War I posters varied, depending on the goal of the organization that commissioned them. In some posters, women appeared in distress or seeking help as victims of the war. Prior to American entry, these posters functioned to sway American public opinion in the direction of joining the Allies by cultivating outrage that a country, particularly its women, had been attacked. After the U.S. entered the war, the posters depicting women as victims played on the traditionally masculine role as a protector of women in order to convince men to enlist in the armed forces.

I Want You Navy PosterIn other posters, women were portrayed as seductresses, inducing men to enlist in the military through their sexualization. A prime example of a war poster using women to seduce men to enlist is the U.S. Navy's "I Want You" poster, created by Howard Chandler Christy. An attractive young woman dressed in nautical garb angles her body toward the viewer, giving a sultry gaze as her hair wisps away. The poster says, "I Want You for The Navy," but the girl seems to be the one saying "I want you," instead of the poster itself.

Unlike the posters that portray women as victims, passive observers of the war, or seductresses, many of the World War I posters show women taking a much more active role in contributing to war efforts. For example, many of the Red Cross posters (oftentimes soliciting donations or seeking more volunteers and nurses) show nurses in the thick of the conflict, carrying stretchers with wounded soldiers, caring for the soldiers, and attending to families displaced by the war. These women are portrayed as strong, courageous, and patriotic, thus promoting the work of nurses and the Red Cross and prompting other Americans to likewise lend their support.

Posters showing active, patriotic women were also used on the home front to promote and recruit for war efforts in America. These posters, like the Woman's Landy Army one pictured below, show women in their home front jobs, typically appearing enthusiastic and further promoting the home front efforts.  Additionally, the women are usually depicted as "'ordinary' women . . . in order to set an example for potential participants in war-related activities" in America.[2]

Woman's Land Army Poster

Allegorical women also appeared in World War I posters, most often representing a country such as France or America, or representing certain national ideals or goals such as liberty, victory, and justice. Many of the posters featuring allegorical women were aimed at recruiting men for the armed forces, although when not soliciting enlistment, the posters also targeted women.

Aside from featuring women, many of the posters included in this section highlight the wartime organizations that contributed to the war effort, such as the Red Cross, the War Camp Community Service, and the YWCA, many of which were run by women and/or whose volunteer base was largely composed of women.

Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as United States) is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general that came into use, according to legend, during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson. The actual origin is obscure.[3] Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of the US government in American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion.[4] While the figure of Uncle Sam represents specifically the government, Columbia represents the United States as a nation. The image has also developed notoriety for its use in military propaganda.[5]

J. M. Flagg's 1917 poster was based on the original British Lord Kitchener poster of three years earlier. It was used to recruit soldiers for both World War I and World War II into the US Army. Flagg used a modified version of his own face for Uncle Sam,[1] and veteran Walter Botts provided the pose.[2]

The first reference to Uncle Sam in formal literature (as distinct from newspapers) was in the 1816 allegorical book The Adventures of Uncle Sam, in Search After His Lost Honor by Frederick Augustus Fidfaddy, Esq.[6]

The Origin of Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam's Coffee

Uncle Sam’s Coffee


Although Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is the most popular personification of the United States, many Americans have little or no concept of his origins. If pressed, the average American might point to the early 20th century and Sam’s frequent appearance on army recruitment posters. In reality, however, the figure of Uncle Sam dates back much further. Portraying the tradition of representative male icons in America, which can be traced well back to colonial times, the actual figure of Uncle Sam dates from the War of 1812.


At that point, most American icons had been geographically specific, centering most often on the New England area. However, the War of 1812 sparked a renewed interest in national identity which had faded since the American Revolution.


The term Uncle Sam is said to have been derived from a man named Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied rations for the soldiers during the War of 1812. Samuel Wilson, who served in the American Revolution at the age of 15, was born in Massachusetts. After the war, he settled in the town of Troy, New York, where he and his brother, Ebenezer, began the firm of E. & S. Wilson, a meatpacking facility. Samuel was a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty, who was devoted to his country. Well, liked, local residents began to refer to him as “Uncle Sam.”


During the War of 1812, the demand for meat supply for the troops was badly needed. Secretary of War, William Eustis, made a contract with Elbert Anderson, Jr. of New York City to supply and issue all rations necessary for the United States forces in New York and New Jersey for one year. Anderson ran an advertisement on October 6, 1813, looking to fill the contract. The Wilson brothers bid for the contract and won. The contract was to fill 2,000 barrels of pork and 3,000 barrels of beef for one year. Situated on the Hudson River, their location made it ideal to receive the animals and to ship the product.


At the time, contractors were required to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending. Wilson’s packages were labeled “E.A. – US., which stood for  Elbert Anderson, the contractor, and the United States. When an individual in the meatpacking facility asked what it stood for, a coworker joked and said it referred to Sam Wilson — “Uncle Sam.”


A number of soldiers who were originally from Troy also saw the designation on the barrels, and being acquainted with Sam Wilson and his nickname “Uncle Sam”, and the knowledge that Wilson was feeding the army, led them to the same conclusion. The local newspaper soon picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.


Though this is an endearing local story, there is doubt as to whether it is the actual source of the term. Uncle Sam is mentioned previous to the War of 1812 in the popular song “Yankee Doodle“, which appeared in 1775. The lyrics were based on a British lullaby and actually meant as a put down of colonials.


As early as 1830, there were inquiries into the origin of the term “Uncle Sam”. The connection between the popular cartoon figure and Samuel Wilson was reported in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1830.


Uncle Sam Wants You!

Uncle Sam Wants You!


Regardless of the actual source, Uncle Sam immediately became popular as a symbol of an ever-changing nation. His “likeness” appeared in drawings in various forms including resemblances to Brother Jonathan, a national personification and emblem of New England, and Abraham Lincoln, and others. In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today. He is also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans.


However, when a military recruiting poster was created in about 1917, the image of Uncle Sam was firmly set into the American consciousness. The famous “I Want You” recruiting poster was created by James Montgomery Flagg and four million posters were printed between 1917 and 1918. Indeed, the image was a powerful one: Uncle Sam’s striking features, expressive eyebrows, pointed finger, and direct address to the viewer made this drawing into an American icon.


Throughout the years, Uncle Sam has appeared in advertising and on products ranging from cereal to coffee to car insurance. His likeness also continued to appear on military recruiting posters and in numerous political cartoons in newspapers


In September 1961, the U.S. Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as “the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.” Wilson died at age 88 in 1854, and was buried next to his wife Betsey Mann in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York, the town that calls itself “The Home of Uncle Sam.”


Uncle Sam represents a manifestation of patriotic emotion.

Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as United States) is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general that came into use, according to legend, during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson. The actual origin is obscure.[3] Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of the US government in American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion.[4] While the figure of Uncle Sam represents specifically the government, Columbia represents the United States as a nation. The image has also developed notoriety for its use in military propaganda.[5]


The first reference to Uncle Sam in formal literature (as distinct from newspapers) was in the 1816 allegorical book The Adventures of Uncle Sam, in Search After His Lost Honor by Frederick Augustus Fidfaddy, Esq.[6]



Contents

1 Earlier personifications

2 Evolution

3 See also

4 References

5 Further reading

6 External links

Earlier personifications


Columbia

The earliest known personification of the United States was as a woman named Columbia, who first appeared in 1738 (pre-US) and sometimes was associated with another female personification, Lady Liberty. With the American Revolutionary War came Brother Jonathan, a male personification, and Uncle Sam finally appeared after the War of 1812.[7] Columbia appeared with either Brother Jonathan or Uncle Sam, but her use declined as a national person in favor of Liberty, and she was effectively abandoned once she became the mascot of Columbia Pictures in the 1920s.


According to an article in the 1893 The Lutheran Witness, Uncle Sam was simply another name for Brother Jonathan:


When we meet him in politics we call him Uncle Sam; when we meet him in society we call him Brother Jonathan. Here of late Uncle Sam alias Brother Jonathan has been doing a powerful lot of complaining, hardly doing anything else. [sic][8]


A March 24, 1810, journal entry by Isaac Mayo (a midshipman in the US Navy) states:


weighed anchor stood down the harbor, passed Sandy Hook, where there are two light-houses, and put to sea, first and the second day out most deadly seasick, oh could I have got onshore in the hight [sic] of it, I swear that uncle Sam, as they call him, would certainly forever have lost the services of at least one sailor.[9]


Evolution


Samuel Wilson Memorial in Arlington, Massachusetts


Photograph of Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York


Uncle Sam and Columbia in an 1869 cartoon by Thomas Nast


Uncle Sam often personified the United States in political cartoons, such as this one in 1897 about the U.S. annexation of Hawaii


Uncle Sam taking the lead in cutting up China in J. S. Pughe's cartoon (Puck magazine August 23, 1899).


Poster by the United States Fuel Administration during World War One: "Uncle Sam needs that extra shovelful"

The precise origin of the Uncle Sam character is unclear, but a popular legend is that the name "Uncle Sam" was derived from Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy, New York, who supplied rations for American soldiers during the War of 1812. There was a requirement at the time for contractors to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending. Wilson's packages were labeled "E.A.—U.S." When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly said, "Elbert Anderson [the contractor] and Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, though the U.S. actually stood for "United States".[10] Doubts have been raised as to the authenticity of this story, as the claim did not appear in print until 1842.[11] Additionally, the earliest known mention definitely referring to the metaphorical Uncle Sam is from 1810, predating Wilson's contract with the government.[9] As early as 1835, Brother Jonathan made a reference to Uncle Sam, implying that they symbolized different things: Brother Jonathan was the country itself, while Uncle Sam was the government and its power.[12]


By the 1850s, the names Brother Jonathan and Uncle Sam were being used nearly interchangeably, to the point that images of what had previously been called "Brother Jonathan" were being called "Uncle Sam". Similarly, the appearance of both personifications varied wildly. For example, one depiction of Uncle Sam in 1860 showed him looking like Benjamin Franklin,[13] while a contemporaneous depiction of Brother Jonathan[14] looks more like the modern version of Uncle Sam, though without a goatee.


Uncle Sam did not get a standard appearance, even with the effective abandonment of Brother Jonathan near the end of the American Civil War, until the well-known recruitment image of Uncle Sam was first created by James Montgomery Flagg during World War I. The image was inspired by a British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in a similar pose.[citation needed] It is this image more than any other that has influenced the modern appearance of Uncle Sam: an elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, wearing a white top hat with white stars on a blue band, a blue tail coat, and red-and-white-striped trousers.


Flagg's depiction of Uncle Sam was shown publicly for the first time, according to some, on the cover of the magazine Leslie's Weekly on July 6, 1916, with the caption "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?"[1][15] More than four million copies of this image were printed between 1917 and 1918. Flagg's image was also used extensively during World War II, during which the US was codenamed "Samland" by the German intelligence agency Abwehr.[16] The term was central in the song "The Yankee Doodle Boy", which was featured in 1942 in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy.


There are two memorials to Uncle Sam, both of which commemorate the life of Samuel Wilson: the Uncle Sam Memorial Statue in Arlington, Massachusetts, his birthplace; and a memorial near his long-term residence in Riverfront Park, Troy, New York. Wilson's boyhood home can still be visited in Mason, New Hampshire. Samuel Wilson died on July 31, 1854, aged 87, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New York.


In 1976, Uncle Sam was depicted in "Our Nation's 200th Birthday, The Telephone's 100th Birthday" by Stanley Meltzoff for Bell System.[17]


In 1989, "Uncle Sam Day" became official. A Congressional joint resolution[18] designated September 13, 1989, as "Uncle Sam Day", the birthday of Samuel Wilson. In 2015, the family history company MyHeritage researched Uncle Sam's family tree and claims to have tracked down his living relatives.[19][20]