Accession Number1954/2.35.20
TitleGee! I Wish I Were a Man - I'd Join the Navy, Naval Reserve, or Coast Guard
Artist(s)Howard Chandler ChristyObject Creation Date1918Medium & Supportcolor lithograph on paperDimensions 40.9 x 27 3/16 in. (104 x 69 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Maurice F. LyonsLabel copyLike her counterpart in the previous poster (no. 4- Christy "I Want You For the Navy"), this bouncy little number in an enlisted man's uniform is another of the "Christy Girls". The particular version of the Christy type was dubbed the "Honey Girl" by the many men she enticed into enlisting in the service. She may wish she were a man, but no red-blooded American boy could miss the kewpie doll sensuosity in her piquant naiveté particularly as she is posed in a uniform too large for her that clings suggestively to her very womanly body. Although the contemporary writer Albert Gallatin criticized Christy's sketchy use of line as unsuited to poster work, this bright, perky poster catches the eye and consequently does its job very well. The fact that the poster was reissued several times in 1917-1918 attest to its success and popularity.
Primary Object ClassificationPrintCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
World War I
costume (mode of fashion)
costumes
modern and contemporary art
navies
posters
seamen
soldier
standing
wars
women (female humans)