1917 YMCA War Work Fund Propaganda Map of New England

A rare and ephemeral 1917 poster map of New England promoting the World War I Era Y.M.C.A. Red Triangle War Work program's fund raising 'Money Marathon'. The map is a grey outline of New England over which a red sun rises. Arrows point towards Boston, where the planned march took place on November 17, 1917.

A March, Not a Race

The marathon, a march not a race, was held in Boston as part of a national effort to raise some 35,000,000 USD for the War Work Fund. Each region was assigned a donation goal, with New England pegged for 1,000,000. The event took place in Boston on November 17, 1917. It consisted of speeches, marches, and an actual 5-mile race run by 10 boys selected from each New England state.

Red Triangle War Work Program

The United War Work Campaign was a group of seven separate organizations that were tasked with fundraising for the war effort. According to the War Department, May 9, 1917,

When America entered the war, there was created the National War Work Council of the Young Men's Christian Associations. It was designed to unite the national, state and local organizations of this movement in order to prevent undesirable duplication of effort and in order to make possible the most efficient service of the men in the American Army and Navy. Its work was given an official status by … executive order.

The officially sanctioned organization supported American troops both domestically and abroad, providing a wide range of recreational, educational, social, and religious services.

Publication History and Census

This poster was part of a series published in during World War I by the Y.M.C.A. It was printed in Boston by Allied Printing. This is the only known surviving example.