Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Pvt. Joe Louis Says_
Object numberMO 2005.13.20.9.1
Name
Poster
Maker
U.S. Government Printing Office
(American, founded 1861)
Issuing Body
Bureau of Graphics, OWI
(American, 1942 - 1945)
Issuing Body
U.S. Office of War Information
(American, 1942 - 1945)
Issuing Body
Office of Facts and Figures, OEM
(American, 1941 - 1942)
Issuing Body
Office For Emergency Management
(American, 1940 - 1942)
Date1942
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensionsoverall H 40 in x W 28 1/2 in (101.6 cm x 72.4 cm )
DescriptionA color poster featuring a black and white photographic image of a Joe Louis as a soldier, against a blue background. Black text above and below the image reads: Pvt. Joe Louis says_ / "We're going to do our part …and we'll win because we're on God's side".
Small text printed in the bottom margin of the poster reads: For additional copies write to Graphics Division, Office of Facts and Figures, Washington, D. C. . . . Specify GPO Jacket No. 460989. / U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942—O.
Label TextChampion boxer Joe Louis became a national hero when he defeated German boxer Max Schmeling in a celebrated 1938 match. In January 1942, Louis volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army. Later that year, he said of the war: “We’ll win, because we’re on God’s side.” His remarks were widely reported in the media and later used in this 1942 poster. Small text printed in the bottom margin of the poster reads: For additional copies write to Graphics Division, Office of Facts and Figures, Washington, D. C. . . . Specify GPO Jacket No. 460989. / U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942—O.
The Army recognized Louis’s value as a spokesman for military service and placed him in its Special Services Division. He traveled widely staging boxing exhibitions for military audiences and helped publicize a recruitment campaign aimed at African Americans.
A facsimile of the poster is currently on display in the FDR Library's special exhibition, BLACK AMERICANS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND THE ROOSEVELTS, 1932-1962.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDonated to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by the Adriance Memorial Library.
Credit LineGift of the Adriance Memorial Library
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesOriginal Posters from World War I and World War II (National Archives Identifier 739394)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.Collections
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