Food is a Weapon

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V&A South Kensington
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C

Artist/Maker	US Office of War Information (publisher)
Place of origin	United States (made)

This poster takes a very direct, instructional approach. It combines a command with a very literal illustration of the message. The one concession to symbolism is the wish-bone which appears to make a V for victory sign.

Object details

Categories	Prints Propaganda Posters
Object type	Poster
Title	Food is a Weapon (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques	Colour lithograph Ink Paper Colour Lithography
Brief description	Second World War poster issued by the US Office of War Information
Physical description	The poster shows an image of a empty glass and a china plate with nothing remaing but chicken bones, a knife and fork. A white serviette is crumpled to the left of the plate, suggesting that a meal has been finished. The background is printed in various shades of yellow and green.
Marks and inscriptions	FOOD IS A WEAPON (printed in white on green, across the upper margin) DON'T WASTE IT!/ Buy Wisely - Cook Carefully - Eat It All (printed in white on green, across two lines on the lowe third of the poster) Follow the National Wartime Nutrition Program (printed in yellow on green)
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	Rationing War Propaganda Knife Fork Glass Plate Bones World War II
Summary	This poster takes a very direct, instructional approach. It combines a command with a very literal illustration of the message. The one concession to symbolism is the wish-bone which appears to make a V for victory sign.
Other number	LS.355 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	E.269-2004

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Record created	June 24, 2004
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O101112/food-is-a-weapon-poster-us-office-of/

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