Museum Number E.118-1918. This poster really struck me as a powerful propaganda tool. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. One issue being what “being a man” means and the other being the insult to masculinity. Do you have 5 minutes to help us improve our website? Hear the men and women whose lives were shaped by the First World War tell their stories of the conflict in our podcast series, Voices of the First World War. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Woodrow Wilson was re-elected in 1916 on the slogan “He kept us out of war.” But just a month after his second inaugural, on April 6, 1917, he signed a declaration of war and the U.S. joined World War I. Women at home played an enormous role producing material for the war effort. Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee. I wish I were a man, I'd join the Navy. But it’s not targeted at women, it’s targeted at men. Best known of the group is James Montgomery Flagg’s depiction of Uncle Sam pointing directly at the viewer: “I Want You for U.S. Army.”. Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially. Posted by. One Soviet woman, Mariya Oktyabrskaya, sold all her possessions to buy and drive a tank after her husband died fighting. In 1917, as America entered World War I, thousands of young men rushed to join the Army, Marines, or Navy. Cookie Policy One poster supporting the Y.M.C.A. implies that women (or at least this woman) want to be men. My old cheif had that poster on her wall, so it's veiwed with quaint nostalgia like most Naval things. Howard Chandler Christy (American, 1872-1952) Lithograph on paper. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I may have missed your point but I think it is for recruiting women, but i do not know American history at all so I might be wrong. In the first line “Gee!! Instead of wishing to be a man to be in the navy, Maybe just ya know, Wish to be in the navy? Not sure where OP got the wrong date. For access to motion picture film stills please contact the Film Study Center. Notice how “a man” is underlined for emphasis. More information is also available about the film collection and the Circulating Film and Video Library. Even the “Christy Girl” wanted to enlist in the Navy or Coast Guard during World War I (1914-1919). Did this fragile masculinity shit really work? I Wish I Were a Man, I’d Join the Navy, 1917. “Advertising War: Selling Americans on World War I” is on view through January 2019 at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Roger Catlin is a freelance writer in Washington D.C. who writes frequently about the arts for The Washington Post and other outlets. A subreddit for propaganda collectors, enthusiasts, or anyone fascinated by propaganda as an insight into history, sociology, perspective, and manipulation. While kept away from direct combat, however, women were a valuable asset in recruiting men to the navy. A short biography of their service, including awards they were given, challenges they faced, and a bit about their life before and after serving; Years of service or the wars/conflicts in which they served; Which military branch(es) in which they served (e.g., US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marines, US Coast Guard). The poster was used as a recruiting propaganda to get people to join the Armed Forces during World War I. People: Christy, Howard Chandler (1872 … To find out more, including which third-party cookies we place and how to manage cookies, see our privacy policy. Howard Chandler Christy. Me and my fiancé just picked one of these up from an antique shop, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the PropagandaPosters community. © 2020 Pritzker Military Museum & LibraryDisclaimer | Contact, CONTACT I Wish I Were A Man", U.S., est. The famous UK 1914 poster shows Kitchener pointing his finger, says “Britons Want You: Join Your Country’s Army.”. I Wish I Were a Man. Terms of Use In 1917, as America entered World War I, thousands of men were rushing to join the Army, Marines or Navy. It includes some of the most enduring images of that poster campaign, as well as some of the lesser known, such as one declaring “Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist”  showing a raging gorilla in a Kaiser’s helmet crossing into America and grabbing a helpless woman. I WISH I WERE A … “Advertising War: Selling Americans on World War I”, “Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man, I’d Join the Navy, 1917. I Wish I Were a Man,” 1917, courtesy Bruce Museum. This was actually for WWI-- you can see the signature of Howard Chandler Christy 1917. I Wish I Were a Man (modeled by Mrs. E. LeRoy Finch) sports a fluttering naval uniform; the whole look and chatty tone was extremely effective in underscoring the masculine appeal of serving soldiers. Yep, 1917 is correct according to the Library of Congress. A week later, he went to work on selling the idea to the public through the creation of the Committee on Public Information. I Wish I Were a Man. The Kirchner poster is not in the exhibit, but another one inspired by it depicts England’s own Uncle Sam-like character, John Bull, a Union Jack across his belly, pointing to the viewer, with the caption “Who’s Absent? I Wish I Were A Man/ I'd Join the Navy". 104 S. Michigan Ave., “There was no radio or television at the time, so that was the only way to get people’s attention,” Miller says of the posters. image: a depicition of an attractive young woman wearing the uniform of a United States Navy sailor. Phone: 312.374.9333. Close. I wish I were a Man" - WWI US Navy Recruiting Poster, 1917. I Wish I Were a Man. Dressed in a uniform she is not only the picture of ideal femininity, she is beautifully patriotic. Howard Chandler Christy. 162 "Gee!! In the first line “Gee!! underneath the image. text: GEE!! “But after the Spanish American war, he said, ‘I’m sick of that now, I’m going to concentrate on beauty,’ and he did sketches and portraits of women.”. Dressed in a uniform she is not only the picture of ideal femininity, she is beautifully patriotic. The winsome pin–up in Gee!! log in sign up. The poster was used as a recruiting propaganda to get people to join the Armed Forces during World War I. Some of that work is collected in an exhibit, entitled “Advertising War: Selling Americans on World War I” and now on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. 1917. Our effort was educational and informative throughout, for we had such confidence in our case as to feel that no other argument was needed than the simple, straightforward presentation of the facts.”. By downloading or embedding any media, you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. With these famous words, “Gee!! An original sketch of the poster, millions of which were made, is in the exhibit, but will have to be subbed out in a few months in order to protect it from further light damage. This record is a work in progress. In World War I, the frontline was not viewed as a place fit for a woman. OR COASTGUARD. So, A beautiful young woman is suggesting that if you were a man (i.e., a real man) you would join the Navy. Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located. 104 S. Michigan Ave. I mean people say this is sexist but women had a huge part in ww2 outside of combat and even some in combat in the ussr as snipers and resistance fighters in poland and france. In ww1 she did serve in the navy and later in the army during ww2. Upon seeing all of the young men enlisting in the Navy, Bernice suddenly blurted out the words, "Gee I wish I were a man, I'd join the … Previous Christy Girl EXHIBIT Next I Want You for the Navy. “That pose was from a sketch of Lord Kitchener, who was the British Secretary of War, who did a similar thing,” Miller says. I suppose it's too late for the title, though. NAVAL RESERVE log in sign up. Continue The role of women was also pronounced in World War I, with 13,000 women in the Navy and Marines; 20,000 in the Army and Nurse Corps, and nearly 1 million joining the workforce. Our site uses technology that is not supported by your browser, so it may not work correctly. Christy, Howard Chandler (1872-1952) He wrote for many years at The Hartford Courant and writes mostly about TV on his blog rogercatlin.com. Admission to the Museum & Library is $5. 74. Please. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. So the image most of us have of Uncle Sam is that of the illustrator Flagg, imagining himself an older man in white hair in beard. It is sexist for another reason namely that is saying that men who dont join the navy are less than men, the are GASP like women, oh my god! We use our own and third-party cookies to personalize your experience and the promotions you see. Here was a woman worth fighting for. Posted by. In the first poster, Gee I Wish I Were a Man, created by Howard Chandler Christy for the United States Navy Recruiting Bureau, depicts a cute, flirtatious women wearing an enlisted navy man’s dress blues, while declaring in bright red text to her left, “Gee!! 1918. If you have additional information or spotted an error, please send feedback to [email protected]. That iconic pose had its roots in British posters dating back a few years to the beginning of the conflict, according to David D. Miller III, a curator in the division of armed forces history, who organized the display from the museum's holdings of more than 600 posters. Keep up-to-date on: © 2020 Smithsonian Magazine. For this item, that is: © IWM Art.IWM PST 17190, Accessibility statementPrivacy and cookiesCopyrightContact us. Even the “Christy Girl” wanted to enlist in the Navy or Coast Guard during World War I (1914-1919). WW2 as a whole actually considerably helped further the cause of women's rights. 1940s. The "models" name was Bernice Smith who said that line while at a navy recruiting station. Is It You?” to encourage enlistment. http://englewoodreview.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=15&ArticleID=302&TM=17708. Give a Gift. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Bernice Smith was an energetic 20-year-old woman who stopped by her local California recruiting office and was very interested in signing up with the U.S. Navy. This is in my parents' collection, which I just assumed were all from WWII. I wish I were a Man! r/PropagandaPosters: A subreddit for propaganda collectors, enthusiasts, or anyone fascinated by propaganda as an insight into history, sociology … Press J to jump to the feed. If you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in MoMA’s collection, or an image of a MoMA publication or archival material (including installation views, checklists, and press releases), please contact Art Resource (publication in North America) or Scala Archives (publication in all other geographic locations). Great Britain created an all female navy branch, the WRNS (Women's Royal Navy Service). Model actually joined the Navy and again with the Army during ww2 later go on serve. 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