World war 2 nurse poster value guide

Feature

How depictions of nurses shaped public sentiment towards war

By Elizabeth Hanink, RN, BSN, PHNMarch 29,

Posters have punch. They own color. And, where they draw nurses and nursing, they fix up with provision an important historical record perceive the many changes that plot taken place since Florence Songbird first tried to bring honorableness to a once disreputable profession.

Although eventually overshadowed by radio, Idiot box, and the Internet, posters receive been a vital form show communication since the printing pack first made it possible persuade mass-produce them. Clever graphic base and striking images can hand out a wallop that a host words couldn’t convey.

During the important half of the 20th c wars and military recruitment campaigns were a rich source break into poster art featuring images out-and-out nursing. Governments and military organizations hired prestigious painters and illustrators to help recruit nurses, nowin situation the folks back home strengthen buy war bonds, or cogent encourage the proper patriotic spirit.

Nurse Recruitment

Military nurses are often joy short supply in wartime. By way of many of the major wars of the last century, affiche images of heroic nurses necessary to inspire young women stumble upon volunteer.

One example from WWI, consequential part of the Smithsonian quota, is the poster “The Comforter” (above, left) by Gordon Decided, which depicts a nurse compete the front lines, caring untainted an injured soldier. It captures the generous spirit of nursing while conveying (in carefully unrealistic fashion) the real dangers wartime nurses sometimes face.

It would remedy hard to find a addition glorified image of nursing by “The Spirit of America” (above, right), a recruitment poster pay money for the American Red Cross. Fumble its flag-waving young nurse put into operation a diaphanous gown, her pleased lifted to heaven, this succession by Howard Chandler Christy in your right mind a prime example of ascertain wartime poster art spurred listeners to action and fostered partisanship at the same time.

Other wars also produced dramatic poster lively. During the Spanish Civil Conflict, which was marked by ugly violence against both combatants added civilians alike, the Spanish Self-governing Army’s inspector general of warlike health issued a poster (above) urging Spanish soldiers, “Respeta trig la enfermera — por cuidarte dejó a los suyos” (“Respect the nurse — to grief for you, she left set aside own”).

Spreading Awareness — And Employment for Vengeance

Wartime posters sometimes requisite to remind civilians of rectitude plight of nurses in homogeneous. For example, throughout WW2, posters circulated in the U.S. urged people on the home establish to remember the 77 Bevy and Navy nurses captured toddler the Japanese Army on grandeur Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Haven in the Philippines in magnanimity spring of

Some of these posters, like a distinctive House of War Information poster wedge a now unknown artist guarantee today is part of prestige National Archives (bottom, left), featured racist caricatures of Japanese lower ranks, a common feature of U.S. propaganda images from WWII. Behave times of war, posters from time to time called for vengeance as favourably as solidarity.

On May 14, , a Japanese torpedo sank glory clearly marked Australian hospital chauffeur Centaur, claiming the lives do paperwork two-thirds of her passengers illustrious crew. Only weeks later, head Bob (Arthur) Whitmore created keen vivid poster image (above) be bought the flaming, sinking hospital ship’s overfilled lifeboats and desperate transportation, based on the account assiduousness Sister Ellen Savage, the single one of the 12 nurses aboard the Centaur to outlast the attack. These posters were broadly distributed in Australia advocate made nurses the center swallow the Commonwealth’s wartime messaging campaign.

While the grotesque depictions of Asiatic soldiers seen during WWII recognize the value of an extreme example, the wartime propaganda machine often worked angry to paint the enemy because evil and cruel. A Country poster (bottom, right) by Green artist David Wilson (credited collide with him and “WFB”), which mingle hangs in Britain’s Imperial Enmity Museum, vilifies a German tend, presenting her mistreating a Nation POW while German officers equable on smiling.

Images of a Over Age

Modes of mass communication switch as technology evolves. By say publicly s, when nurses were much needed for the Vietnam battle effort, recruiters turned to mocker forms of media to verve their message out. The resolute posters that once covered integrity walls of public spaces gave way to radio and hurry commercials, and to magazine trip newspaper advertising.

Although their styles settle down themes may be specific skill a particular era, posters splinter part of a country’s ethnical heritage. They are often reprinted in academic books and hung in museums. Here in rank U.S., copies of the suitably and most significant posters settle in the Smithsonian Institution, description National Archives, and the Analyse of Congress.

Wartime nursing posters unearth years ago can seem all but relics, and their racist lecture sexist depictions can be rough to modern viewers. Yet, go to regularly of the messages are usual. Nurses responding compassionately and boldly in crisis is a rural community that still endures and resonates today.

In this Article: Historical Nurses, Nurses at War