Existing comment:
I Want You
When James Montgomery Flagg drew his famous World War I "I Want You" recruiting poster, he turned to the mirror for his craggy image of Uncle Sam. Although inspired by the British image of a pointing Lord Kitchener, Flagg's version captured the public's imagination with special effectiveness. Along with the stern features of the self-portrait, the foreshortened hand gesture forged a personal connection with the viewer. A generation later, Flagg translated that familiar image into this presidential campaign piece promoting Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented fourth term. The poster coyly avoids asking for votes, suggesting instead that America's duty was to convince the incumbent to run in order to "finish the job." The poster was issued by the Independent Voters Committee of the Arts and Sciences for Roosevelt, founded in 1944 to promote a fourth term, with the expectation that the president could deliver both victory and a progressive peace settlement.
James Montgomery Flagg, c 1944 |