YMCA war work campaign poster, soldiers entering snowy home

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A holiday-season poster from the First World War era, it shows soldiers walking through a snowy doorway toward a warm, lit home, a pairing of cold travel and welcome that suited the Christmas theme. The YMCA ran war work campaigns to raise money for its services to troops at the front and in training camps, offering writing paper, canteens, and recreation rooms far from home. Posters like this one tied those efforts to the emotional pull of home and family at the holidays. Look closely at the figures and the glow in the window, which carry the appeal more than any slogan does.

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