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A white goatee on a chiseled face. Bushy eyebrows over burning eyes. Silver hair flowing out from under a tall top hat decorated with stars. And one bony finger pointed toward the observer. These attributes belonged to Uncle Sam, as seen in the famed “I want YOU for U.S. Army” poster that helped recruit legions of young men to fight in World Wars I and II. The poster first appeared 100 years ago, around the time America declared war on Germany on April 6 and entered World War I.

It proved effective, apparently, and was printed more than 4 million times in the final year of World War I, according to the Library of Congress. These physical attributes also belonged to James Montgomery Flagg, the illustrator who brought the modern Uncle Sam to life. Flagg used himself as a model.

– Uncle Sam. Artwork by James Montgomery Flagg, 1917

“We Can Do It!” is an American World War II wartime poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost female worker morale.

The poster was not widely seen during World War II. It was rediscovered in the early 1980s and widely reproduced in many forms, often called “We Can Do It!” but also called “Rosie the Riveter” after the iconic figure of a strong female war production worker. The “We Can Do It!” image was used to promote feminism and other political issues beginning in the 1980s

– We Can Do It! Artwork by J. Howard Miller, 1943

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government called upon manufacturers to produce greater amounts of war goods. The workplace atmosphere at large factories was often tense because of resentment built up between management and labor unions throughout the 1930s. Directors of companies such as General Motors (GM) sought to minimize past friction and encourage teamwork.

In response to a rumored public relations campaign by the United Auto Workers union, GM quickly produced a propaganda poster in 1942 showing both labor and management rolling up their sleeves, aligned toward maintaining a steady rate of war production. The poster read, “Together We Can Do It!” and “Keep ‘Em Firing!” In creating such posters, corporations wished to increase production by tapping popular pro-war sentiment, with the ultimate goal of preventing the government from exerting greater control over production.

– Together We Can Do It! Artwork by J.Howard Miller, 1942

Lord Kitchener Wants You is a 1914 advertisement by Alfred Leete which was developed into a recruitment poster. It depicted Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, above the words “WANTS YOU”. Kitchener, wearing the cap of a British Field Marshal, stares and points at the viewer calling them to enlist in the British Army against the Central Powers.

The image is considered one of the most iconic and enduring images of World War I. A hugely influential image and slogan, it has also inspired imitations in other countries, from the United States to the Soviet Union.

– Lord Kitchener Wants You. Artwork by Alfred Leete, 1914

Canadian Second World War poster. The poster depicts an arm with a clenched fist, stretching out into the sky, surrounded by aircraft. The poster links domestic war-time production with victory overseas.

– Our Answer: All-Out Production. Artist Unknown, c. 1939-1945

“Tell it to the Marines” is an English-language idiom, originally with reference to Britain’s Royal Marines, connoting that the person addressed is not to be believed.

In America, the phrase, while still retaining its original use and meaning, also acquired a second meaning: if there’s a wrong to be avenged, tell the Marines, because they will do something about it.

In 1917 in the United States, a recruitment poster shows a variation of the phrase and an enraged civilian who wants to enlist. This sense of the phrase has appeared in many American books, films, and other media.

– Tell That To The Marines. Artwork by James Montgomery Flagg, 1917

Depicts a black and white photograph of a woman in overalls wearing a headscarf. She leans over a table, clenching her right fist with an emploring glare out to the viewer, to “Change over to a victory job”. She is set against the Australian flag in full colour.

– Change Over To A Victory Job. Artist Unknown, 1943

Clara Barton and a circle of her acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881. Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired global Red Cross network while visiting Europe following the Civil War. Returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882.

Barton led the Red Cross for 23 years, during which time we conducted our first domestic and overseas disaster relief efforts, aided the United States military during the Spanish-American War, and campaigned successfully for the inclusion of peacetime relief work as part of the global Red Cross network–the so-called “American Amendment” that initially met with some resistance in Europe.

– Join The American Red Cross. Artwork by Robert Kauffman, c. 1930s-1950s