Snapshots of the Past

The sword is drawn the Navy upholds it! / painted by Kenyon Cox N.A. – Antique Print

The sword is drawn the Navy upholds it! / painted by Kenyon Cox N.A., 1917 — vintage poster
The sword is drawn the Navy upholds it! / painted by Kenyon Cox N.A., 1917. Vintage poster from the Military 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

This rare vintage poster captures The sword is drawn the Navy upholds it! / painted by Kenyon Cox N.A. in remarkable detail. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. A fine choice for anyone who loves history, and a gift that gets noticed. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

The sword is drawn the Navy upholds it! / painted by Kenyon Cox N.A.

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Kenyon Cox, a painter and muralist and a member of the National Academy of Design, made this 1917 color lithograph for the U.S. Navy's recruiting service. Its drawn sword and classical symbolism reflect the allegorical style Cox favored in his murals and easel paintings. The United States had entered the First World War in April 1917, and the Navy was working to enlist sailors quickly for convoy escort and Atlantic patrol duty. The poster's bold image of a sword held up as a pledge of defense asked viewers to see enlistment as an act of national honor.

Created / published1917
Medium1 print (poster) : lithograph color ; 107 x 71 cm.
NotesU.S. Navy Recruiting Station. Signed with artists monogram. No. 19686. · Rehse Archiv fuumlr Zeitgeschichte und Publizistik former owner. DLC
SubjectsUnited States. Navy--Recruiting & enlistment--1910-1920. World War 1914-1918--Recruiting & enlistment--United States.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Posters: Artist Posters
Original scan3,694 × 4,701 px · prints to 12 × 16 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-222858

More from the Military collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

The Sword Is Drawn, the Navy Upholds It! Recruiting PosterThe Sword Is Drawn, the Navy Upholds It! Recruiting PosterThe loss of the Pennsylvania New York packet ship; the Lockwoods emigrant ship; the Saint Andrew packet ship; and the Victoria from Charleston, near Liverpool, during the hurricane [...] Jany. 7th & 8th, 1839 / painted by Samuel Walters ; drawn on stone by T. Fairland.The loss of the Pennsylvania New York packet ship; the Lockwoods emigrant ship; I want you for the Navy Apply any recruiting station or postmaster / Howard Chandler Christy 1917.I want you for the Navy Apply any recruiting station or postmaster / Howard ChanTurn to the right! Join the U.S. Navy, your first line of defense / Carey Print N.Y..Turn to the right! Join the U.S. Navy, your first line of defense / Carey Print United States Navy calls on Oregon [...]United States Navy calls on Oregon [...]A wonderful opportunity for you--United States Navy [...] / Ruttan.A wonderful opportunity for you--United States Navy [...] / Ruttan.