Following the theme of the previous week’s posts, this week we will look at political art and it’s influence on civilians in eras of war.
Below is a poster from 1918 by artist Lloyd Harrison. Harrison created this poster for the US Food Administration that encouraged the consumption of corn in average family meals.
Image obtained here.
Why were these posters made? What Impact did they have? Well these posters encouraged the consumption of corn specifically because it was not a valuable food item. This may seem trivial, but the consumption of corn over more precious food items- like beef, for example- was a big push from the US Food Administration. This poster impacted individuals by instructing them on what to eat in times of war- and for the most part it worked.
Propaganda posters from eras of war are often thought of as enlisting people or garnering feelings in response to the war, but in this case- and many others- political art was used as a means of instructing civilians on the importance of utilization and conservation.
The Political Canvas 