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Which? Have you a reason, or only an excuse, for not enlisting now! / printed by the Abbey Press, 32 & 34 Gt. Peter St., Westminster, S.W. – Vintage Print

Which? Have you a reason, or only an excuse, for not enlisting now! / printed by the Abbey Press, 32 & 34 Gt. Peter St., Westminster, S.W., London : Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] — vintage poster
Which? Have you a reason, or only an excuse, for not enlisting now! / printed by the Abbey Press, 32 & 34 Gt. Peter St., Westminster, S.W., London : Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915]. Vintage poster from the World War I 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

Few images capture their era like this vintage poster of Which? Have you a reason, or only an excuse, for not enlisting now! / printed by the Abbey Press, 32 & 34 Gt. Peter St., Westminster, S.W.. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

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Which? Have you a reason, or only an excuse, for not enlisting now! / printed by the Abbey Press, 32 & 34 Gt. Peter St., Westminster, S.W.

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Rather than showing a soldier or a battle, this poster is all text, and it puts a pointed question to the men who read it: do they have a reason for not enlisting, or only an excuse? It was issued by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, a body formed in 1915 to encourage voluntary enlistment in Britain. Until conscription began in January 1916, the army depended on volunteers, so posters like this one, numbered 128 in the series and printed by the Abbey Press in Westminster, aimed to shame men who hesitated. Its blunt wording shows how directly the campaign pressed individuals to justify their own choices.

Created / publishedLondon : Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915]
Medium1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 76 x 49 cm.
GenreWar posters British 1910-1920.Lithographs Color 1910-1920.
NotesPoster is text only. Poster no. 128. Title from item.
SubjectsWorld War, 1914-1918--Recruiting & enlistment--Great Britain. Recruiting & enlistment--Great Britain--1910-1920.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,171 × 5,191 px · prints to 14 × 17 in at 300 dpi
Reference1750_Which_Have_you_a_reason_1915

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