Our best customer but ...he needs credit! Buy Victory Bonds.

Place North & Central America: Canada
Accession Number ARTV00462
Collection type Art
Measurement Overall: 90 x 60.8 cm
Object type Poster
Physical description chromolithograph on paper
Maker Gibson, Malcolm
Canadian Government
Unknown
Place made Canada
Date made 1914-1918
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Canadian First World War poster issued by the Government to promote the sale of Victory Bonds to finance the war effort. As in other Commonwealth countries Canadian Victory bonds were loans offered by the Government which matured with interest after 5, 10 or 20 years. In Canada there were 5 different Victory loan campaigns between 1915 and 1919 each with its own supporting poster campaign co-ordinated by the Victory Loan Dominion Publicity Committee. This poster features a full length portrait of John Bull standing at a quay with ships in the background. Union flags are flying from the ships masts. It appeals to a Canadian sense of patriotism and ties to Britain to buy Victory Bonds. The title is positioned to the right and below the image. John Bull was a political cartoon created by English satirical artists in the 1790s as a personification of Britain and England in particular. He usually appears as a stout middle-aged man in waistcoat and hat. During the First World War he represented British toughness and determination and appeared in First World War recruiting posters in Britain (see ARTV03940) and as a symbol of Britain in posters of other allied nations.

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