1915 World War I Propaganda Broadside Map of Southern Britain and Northern France

Call for help from the trenches of World War I.

This is a 1915 Parliamentary Recruiting Committee World War I (1914 - 1918) propaganda recruiting broadside illustrating the English Channel, Britain, and France. It is a stirring plea for British soldiers to defend continental Europe.

A Closer Look

Very little distracts the viewer from the broadside's plea: 'Boys Come over here you're wanted'. A sepia-toned portrait of a soldier in uniform dominates the left. He shields his eyes with his hand and looks toward the right as if searching for who was calling for help. The direction of his gaze (east, if taken in combination with the map) suggests the battlefront. He carries a rifle with an affixed bayonet, along with a backpack and canteen. He appears ready to help at a moment's notice, perhaps to ship out. The English Channel, southern Britain, and northern France occupy the rest of the sheet. The Eiffel Tower and St. Paul's Cathedral mark Paris and London, while Brighton, Dover, Southampton, Calais, Dieppe, Amiens, and Le Havre are labeled.

Publication History and Census

This broadside was created by an unknown artist, published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee in London as Poster No. 82, and printed by David Allen and Sons Ltd. We note cataloged examples at Temple University, the Museum of New Zealand, the Hoover Institution, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the National Gallery of Australia. A different broadside using the same slogan and a similar soldier featured Australia and the Gallipoli Peninsula and recruited Australians and New Zealanders for the Gallipoli Campaign.

Condition

Very good. Full professional restoration.

References

Temple University Special Collections PT151193. Museum of New Zealand GH016591. Hoover Institution Poster UK 4072 (OS). Smithsonian National Museum of American History AF.303736.02. National Gallery of Australia 81.2574.