The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
This is a cautionary poster urging people to take care with the conversations they have with others. Pictured is spaniel dog resting its head and tear filled eyes on a seamen's square rig collar that is lying on the back of a chair. Behind the dog is a the Gold Star Service Banner, which represents a family member having been lost in war. This poster warns of that the consequences of careless talk may result in the death of a loved one. This poster was produced by the Office of War Information's (OWI) in the United States as part of the "Loose Lips, Sink Ships" series. The commercial artist Wesley Heyman produced this work that almost did not make it into production. The OWI eventually accepted Heyman's design for the poster, but they printed it in magazines and newspapers, as well as on the walls of government and corporate office buildings. The OWI received thousands of requests from private and public institutions around the country for reproductions of this image. The OWI personnel estimated that they reproduced millions of this poster and that it "shattered all records" for previous poster requests. The poster was a highly effective piece of propaganda. It simple design focussed on four items- a gold service star, a Cocker Spaniel, a U.S. Navy sailor's uniform, and the short text. The gold service star flag instantly acknowledged that someone had been lost in the war. The use of the Cocker Spaniel instead of a human to convey loss is an important aspect of the poster. The Cocker Spaniel became the most popular breed of dog in the United States during the 1940s and 50s. The use of a dog image was one that many that many Americans could relate to and it softened and sentimentalised the cold truths about the war. The Service Flag hanging on the wall in the background with a gold star also symbolizes the gravity and consequences of "loose talk".
United States National Security poster issued by the Office of War Information (OWI) in 1944 warning of the consequences of careless talk. The OWI wrote of the design 'This simple but highly effective
During the Second World War, a fear of information falling into the wrong hands was felt by the warring countries. To remind the civilians and military personnel to keep all information from being ove
With this poster, Koerner won the R. Hoe & Co. Award in the Museum of Modern Art's "Artists for Victory" competition and soon after began working for the Office of War Information. He draws a direct l
Second World War American 'careless talk' poster issued by the Division of Public Inquiries, Office of War Information, poster no. 18. It features the dramatic image of a drowning sailor in a black se
British Second World War poster divided horizontally in half. The top half depicts two ladies engaged in conversation at a restaurant or cafe. In the left background a further gentleman peers intently
An informal portrait of HMAS Platypus’ mascot, the Captain’s Cocker Spaniel dog. The captain took him ashore at Morotai for a ‘nature’ run and he nearly died of excitement. The comment on the back of
