EVENT:
Redlands features World War II Posters: The Social Influences of Wartime
Information
DATE: Nov. 4-25, Redlands Art Gallery
Redlands Community College will host an exhibit entitled World War II Posters: The Social Influences of Wartime Information from November 4 through November 25. The exhibit is located in the Redlands Art Gallery in the Larry Devane Multimedia Building.
The 32 posters tour the state as part of TRACKS traveling exhibits. TRACKS is a project of the Oklahoma Humanities Council and the Oklahoma Museums Association. It is funded with support from Sonic – America’s Drive-In, the Union Pacific Foundation, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
World War II posters were a familiar sight on the home front and a powerful form of propaganda and historic art. Soldiers were portrayed as strong and noble, women as virtuous and compassionate, and the enemy as menacing, misguided and evil. The posters focus on recruitment and moral boosting, conservation of resources, religious freedom and the American way of life, war finance, revenge, ideology, the work ethic, and national security.
Through symbols and slogans, the U.S. Government attempted to persuade people to make and accept sacrifice by evoking emotions such as self-preservation, patriotism, pride and morality. World War II posters were also important tools in financing the war. One shows a smiling soldier waving goodbye with a caption that reads “Till we meet again, BUY WAR BONDS!” Some view the patriotism in war posters as naïve and simplistic, especially when compared with the technological and nuclear advances of today. However, the exhibition World War II Posters is sure to bring back a nostalgic bit of history and evoke strong memories in those who lived during that time.
The exhibit may be viewed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, November 4 through November 25 in the Redlands Gallery. Admission is free. For more information contact Charlotte Wehmuller at 405-262-2552, ext. 2635, or e-mail wehmullerc@redlandscc.edu.