World War II Posters

Want to buy a poster? See Northwestern University's World War II Posters: Information for Collectors for information on how to purchase vintage WW II posters and military literature, and on how to determine the value of posters and memorabilia you already own.

Canadian War Poster Collection  (McGill University)

Annotated images of Canadian propaganda posters from World Wars I and II. Includes historical essay and bibliography.

Canadian WWII Propaganda Posters  (Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum)

Tiny images of posters used in a Canadian propaganda campaign to dampen cynicism and stimulate support for the war. Includes historical essay. No annotations.

Japanese American Internment: Posters from World War II  (San Francisco State University)

Selection of American posters featuring anti-Japanese propaganda. Part of a set of lesson plans on the Japanese-American relocation camps.

Kilroy Was Here--War Posters  (Ohio Historical Society)

Group of posters accompanies an extensive exhibit interpreting life in Ohio and America before, during, and after World War II.

Nazi Propaganda (1933–1945)  (Calvin College)

Extensive archive of posters and other Nazi propaganda (in English translation) for the period 1933-1945, part of a larger site on German propaganda.

Poster Archive: The Price of Civilization Project  (University of Illinois at Chicago)

A sampling of propaganda posters produced by the Treasury Department and the Office of War Information during World War II.

PosterFinder: Subject: World War II  (International Poster Gallery)

Selection of World War II propaganda posters from various countries. Posters are available for purchase.

Posters from the WPA: World War II  (Library of Congress - American Memory Collection)

Small selection of posters produced by the Work Projects Administration. Part of a larger online selection of WPA posters.

Powers of Persuasion: Poster Art From World War II  (National Archives and Records Administration)

This online exhibit features 33 posters and 1 sound file from a more extensive exhibit that was presented in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, from May 1994 to February 1995.

Produce for Victory: Posters on the American Home Front (1941-45)  (National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution)

Annotated online exhibit of American World War II posters. Focuses on how posters were used to link the military front with the home front, calling upon every American to boost production at work and at home.

Recruiting Posters for Women from World War II  (Department of the Navy - Naval Historical Center)

  When complete, this exhibit will contain all of the works in the Navy Art Collection that relate to the recruitment of women during World War II. This includes not only finished posters, but also original artwork for the posters. Each image is annotated with title, artist, medium, and technical number.

"A Summons to Comradeship" World War I and II Posters  (University of Minnesota Libraries)

When complete, this database will include scans of 6000 posters from the collections of the Minnesota Public Library and the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Women at War: An Online Exhibit  (University of North Carolina — Greensboro)

Posters used in campaigns during World War I and World War II to entice women to join the war effort, both at home and overseas, in civilian agencies, as nurses and doctors, and to a lesser degree in the military. Part of the Women Veterans Historical Project.

World War Poster Collection (UNT)

A collection of over 600 original World War I and World War II posters. The World War I posters include a number of French examples, while the World War II group consists primarily of American home front posters. War bonds, rationing, enlistment, security, and morale are all topics treated by these artworks.

World War II Poster Collection  (Northwestern University)

Over 300 posters issued by U.S. federal agencies from the onset of war through 1945; searchable by date, title, topic, or keyword.

World War II Posters: Image Bank  (Rebecca Lewis — King Alfred's, Winchester)

 Annotated scans, mostly of British World War II propaganda posters.

WWII Postcard Collection From Italy  (Robert Cull)

 Eight Italian propaganda postcards from a private collection.