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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
The Secret
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

The Secret

Object numberMO 2005.13.21.49
Name Poster
Artist (American artist and illustrator, 1895 - 1980s)
Maker (American, founded 1861)
Issuing Body (American, 1789 - 1947)
Issuing Body (American, 1907 - 1986)
Date1943
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensionsoverall H 28 in x W 20 in (71.1 cm x 50.8 cm )
DescriptionA color poster promoting wartime discretion. The poster features a series of 13 cartoons of people whispering to others and information being transmitted, starting with an American soldier speaking to a woman and ending with the message being passed to a German U-boat submarine commander. The cartoon is titled and attributed at the top: The Secret by FRANK HANLEY / DESIGN, COURTESY OF “WALLS HAVE EARS” ORGANIZATION. The poster’s message, found in the lower section, reads: THE ONLY SECRET IS THE ONE NEVER TOLD! / ★ SILENCE MEANS SECURITY ★.

Small text printed near the bottom of the poster reads: W. D., A.G.O., "Secret" Security Poster / U. S. Government Printing Office: 1943—O-514853.
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
Non exposé