Back Him Up. Buy War Bonds
Poster
1918 (published)
1918 (published)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is a toned-down version of the first poster Frank Brangwyn designed for the National War Savings Committee, published in 1918. In the first, captioned 'Put Strength In The Final Blow. Buy War Bonds' (an impression of this poster is in the Museum: inv. no. E.2319-1918), the falling soldier is more dramatically portrayed, suspended in mid-air, with the battlefield below and the dead figure prominently crumpled on the ground beneath. A proof for the design of 'Back Him Up . . .' (also in the Museum: E.3513-1931) bears the caption 'He Needs Your Help Now Buy War Bonds', but this has been changed to focus on the British soldier's strength and to avoid any implication of weakness. For unknown reasons, the artist's suggested colouring was also changed.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Back Him Up. Buy War Bonds (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Colour lithograph on paper |
Brief description | 'Back Him Up. Buy War Bonds'; Poster issued during the First World War; Colour lithograph; Design by Sir Frank Brangwyn; Great Britain; 1918. |
Physical description | 'Back Him Up. Buy War Bonds'; Poster issued during the First World War; Colour lithograph. A variant figure of the British soldier wielding his bayonet appears in another of Brangwyn’s posters for War Bonds, an impression of which is E.2319-1918. |
Dimensions |
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Production type | Mass produced |
Marks and inscriptions | Auto-lithograph by Frank Brangwyn, A.R.A. (lettered) |
Credit line | Given by the Underground Electric Railways Co. of London Ltd. |
Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
Subjects depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Summary | This is a toned-down version of the first poster Frank Brangwyn designed for the National War Savings Committee, published in 1918. In the first, captioned 'Put Strength In The Final Blow. Buy War Bonds' (an impression of this poster is in the Museum: inv. no. E.2319-1918), the falling soldier is more dramatically portrayed, suspended in mid-air, with the battlefield below and the dead figure prominently crumpled on the ground beneath. A proof for the design of 'Back Him Up . . .' (also in the Museum: E.3513-1931) bears the caption 'He Needs Your Help Now Buy War Bonds', but this has been changed to focus on the British soldier's strength and to avoid any implication of weakness. For unknown reasons, the artist's suggested colouring was also changed. |
Associated object | |
Bibliographic reference | Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1 |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.2318-1918 |
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Record created | March 3, 2003 |
Record URL |
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