item details
Name'I Want You' poster
ProductionJames Flagg; artist; April 1917; United States
Federal Government of the United States; publisher; April 1917; United States
Federal Government of the United States; publisher; April 1917; United States
Classificationpolitical posters
Materialsink, paper
Techniquescolour lithography
DimensionsOverall: 741mm (width), 1011mm (height), 1mm (depth)
Registration NumberGH016374
Credit lineGift of Department of Defence, 1919
Overview
This is the most famous of all American First World War posters, and was by one of America’s best known and admired illustrators, James Montgomery Flagg. Five million copies were printed. It features a self-portrait of the artist as Uncle Sam, the male personification of the United States.
The design and slogan were inspired by Alfred Leete’s famous British poster of Lord Kitchener pointing directly at the viewer in 1914. This concept has been copied many times since the First World War both in support of war and against. It fulfils the requirements of a successful war poster with its simple image and direct appeal.