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I Want You for the U.S. Army
I Want You for the U.S. Army
I Want You for the U.S. Army

I Want You for the U.S. Army

Artifact IDMO 2005.13.22.2.2
Object Type Poster
Artist (American illustrator, painter, and author, 1877-1960)
Issuing Body (American, founded 1919)
Date1941
Mediumpaper
Dimensionsoverall H 38 in x W 25 in (96.5 cm x 63.5 cm )
Physical DescriptionA color poster featuring an illustration of Uncle Sam pointing out towards the viewer. Blue and red text across the top and bottom reads: I WANT YOU / for the U.S. ARMY / ENLIST NOW. The artwork is by James Montgomery Flagg. Copyrighted by Leslie-Judge Co. Recruiting Publicity Bureau P-26-RPB-1-24-41-25M.
Historical NotePerhaps the most recognizable poster in American history, James Montgomery Flagg’s depiction of Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer first appeared as a cover illustration for Leslie’s Weekly magazine on July 6, 1916. In that original version Uncle Sam asks: “What are YOU doing for preparedness.” Flagg’s inspiration came from a British magazine illustration created in 1914 by Alfred Leete. It featured Lord Kitchener, the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for War, pointing at the viewer while asserting “Your Country Needs YOU.”

Additional Details
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 StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view