Accession Number
1954/2.35.86

Title
Food is Ammunition--Don't Waste It

Artist(s)
John E. Sheridan

Object Creation Date
1917-1918

Medium & Support
color lithograph on paper

Dimensions
29 9/16 x 20.9 in. (75 x 53.2 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Maurice F. Lyons

Label copy
Price correctly saw that the poster's greatest strength lies in its directness which creates an immediate awareness for what was a major problem during the War--food shortage. To counter the continual sinking of food laden ships by the enemy, food conservation became a necessity. The U.S. Food Administration's major task was to find efficient means of propaganda to instill wartime patriotic fervor and a spirit of self-sacrifice in order to impress in every American's mind that it required the efforts of all citizens to conserve the food so vital to the war effort. In this campaign, too, as in so many others, the poster became central. What is interesting and to the lasting credit of the civilian population is that the Food Administration never had to resort to food rationing as did the European nations. Rather, as Herbert Hoover, then head of the Food Administration, said, "My colleagues and I… believe that the spirit of self sacrifice of the American people could be relied upon for so great a service as to accomplish the necessary results upon a voluntary basis."

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Text-based Art
basket
food
fruit
horsemen
horses
modern and contemporary art
posters
soldiers
sunset
vegetables
wars