She won't talk!
Poster
ca. 1943 (made)
ca. 1943 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Through this poster, American audiences were urged to avoid careless talk which might benefit enemy forces during World War II. The photographic image of the startled woman with her mouth covered was designed to convey tension and drama - much as would a scene from Hollywood films of the period. Many viewers would have been familiar with similar scenes from sabotage-themed Alfred Hitchcock films of the 1940s. The disembodied ears looming in the background are meant to be further sinister reminders of the threat of espionage. The poster's immediacy is also driven by the text which pointedly implores the viewer's silence and discretion by asking "Will You [talk]?"
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | She won't talk! (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | photolithograph |
| Brief description | "She won't talk!" World War II poster urging against careless talk. USA, ca. 1943. |
| Physical description | Glamorous blonde with a man's hand covering her mouth. Four large, disembodied ears loom in the background. (Black & white image). |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | She won't talk!/ Will You?/ The enemy has ears |
| Credit line | Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Through this poster, American audiences were urged to avoid careless talk which might benefit enemy forces during World War II. The photographic image of the startled woman with her mouth covered was designed to convey tension and drama - much as would a scene from Hollywood films of the period. Many viewers would have been familiar with similar scenes from sabotage-themed Alfred Hitchcock films of the 1940s. The disembodied ears looming in the background are meant to be further sinister reminders of the threat of espionage. The poster's immediacy is also driven by the text which pointedly implores the viewer's silence and discretion by asking "Will You [talk]?" |
| Other number | LS.369 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1409-2004 |
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| Record created | December 21, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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