Keep him free. Buy war savings stamps Accession Number: ARTV00112

Description

Depicts the American Bald Eagle, an emblem of the United States in her eyrie, with bi-planes instead of eagle chicks as hatchlings, sheltering the Allied flying forces. Behind the eagle is a blue sky, referencing Bull's influence by Japanese ukiyo-e, or floating world, prints of the Edo period (late 19th century). Charles Livingston Bull contributed several notable poster designs to the war effort. He integrated Art Nouveau and elements of the Arts and Crafts movements into his designs, flattening the picture plane, and introducing sweeping, curvilinear movement. The title of the poster, 'Keep him free', printed in red ink, runs from the upper left corner to the upper right corner; the remainder of the text occupies the lower fourth of the poster, and is printed in blue, yellow or grey ink. The War Savings Stamps scheme was an extension of the Liberty Bonds scheme, which encouraged the public to put their money into government bonds, rather than luxury items; the government then re-directed this money towards the war effort.

Details

Accession Number
ARTV00112
Artist
Charles Livingston Bull
Publisher
U.S. Treasury Department
Classification
Art
Object Type
Poster
Measurement
sheet: 76.1 x 51.5 cm
Medium
chromolithograph on paper
Date Made
1917-1918
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Transferred from AWM Research Centre 1979
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain

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Last modified: 25 August 2025 - 12.23 am