Buy War Bonds | Poster

Posters often contrasted the "easy" sacrifice of buying a bond with the "ultimate" sacrifice of soldiers, effectively shaming the viewer into contributing.

Images of children in the "shadow" of fascism, such as Lawrence Smith’s "Don't Let that Shadow Touch Them," leveraged fear and protective instincts. buy war bonds poster

During World War II, the U.S. government faced the daunting task of financing a "total war" while also controlling inflation. War bonds, officially known as , were sold for as little as $18.75 and matured to a face value of $25 after ten years. Posters often contrasted the "easy" sacrifice of buying