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Halfsheet vintage
World War II propaganda poster, titled "Sink a Sub from Your Farm," was issued in 1942 by the United States War Production Board. It was a key part of the National Scrap Harvest, a massive home-front campaign to collect raw materials for the war effort.
Poster Details & Context
Purpose: To encourage American farmers and rural communities to donate scrap metal, such as old tools and defunct machinery, which could be melted down to build naval vessels and ammunition.
The Motto: The quote at the bottom, "Brave Men Shall Not Die Because I Faltered," served as the official motto of the National Scrap Harvest, aiming to instill a sense of personal responsibility and urgency in civilians.
Artist: While some sources list the artist as unknown, similar government-issued scrap posters from the same period were credited to S. Broder.
Visual Imagery: The poster depicts a burning submarine sinking into the ocean, providing a direct visual link between the scrap donated on a farm and the destruction of enemy forces.
The National Scrap Harvest
Launched in the summer of 1942, these drives were vital because supply lines for essential materials like rubber and tin had been cut off.
Community Effort: Schools, Boy Scouts, and local salvage committees organized collections that brought in millions of tons of material.
Materials Collected: Beyond scrap metal (iron, steel, copper), the drives sought rubber (old tires, raincoats), paper, and even kitchen fats, which were used to make glycerin for explosives.
Impact: In October 1942 alone, a national drive brought in nearly 82 pounds of scrap per American. |
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