Snapshots of the Past

Farewell, American soldiers! – Antique Wall Art

Farewell, American soldiers!, [ca. 1943] — historic print
Farewell, American soldiers!, [ca. 1943]. Historic print from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: Farewell, American soldiers!, preserved in this historic print. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.

Farewell, American soldiers!

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The blunt title, "Farewell, American soldiers!", sets this leaflet apart from the many wartime cartoons that mocked enemy forces. Its skull imagery turns a simple sign-off into a threat. Dated to about 1943, when American troops were fighting in the Pacific, North Africa and Europe, the piece reflects a common wartime method: cheap printed leaflets meant to be handed out or dropped from aircraft to wear down morale through fear and dark humor. Leaflet makers on both sides of the war relied on this kind of imagery, and this example, held in the Claude E. Hawley collection, shows how propaganda tried to reach soldiers directly.

Created / published[ca. 1943]
GenreCartoons 1940-1950.Leaflets 1940-1950.
NotesClaude E. Hawley collection.
SubjectsWorld War, 1939-1945--United States. Soldiers--American--1940-1950. Skulls--1940-1950.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 999 px · prints to 5 × 3 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-167616

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