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War traffic must come first - Don't waste transportation

Poster
ca.1943 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

"War traffic must come first - Don't waste transportation", World War II propaganda poster discouraging unnecessary travel. The image features a train, viewed close-up, so that only the wheels of the engine are seen, speeding along the tracks. The perspective is accentuated to suggest the train's velocity. At the top of the poster is the slogan, 'War traffic must come first', and at the bottom, 'don't waste transportation'.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWar traffic must come first - Don't waste transportation (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Paper and ink
Brief description
"War traffic must come first - Don't waste transportation", issued by the Association of American Railroads in cooperation with the Office of Defense Transportation, United States, about 1943
Physical description
"War traffic must come first - Don't waste transportation", World War II propaganda poster discouraging unnecessary travel. The image features a train, viewed close-up, so that only the wheels of the engine are seen, speeding along the tracks. The perspective is accentuated to suggest the train's velocity. At the top of the poster is the slogan, 'War traffic must come first', and at the bottom, 'don't waste transportation'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 45.5cm
  • Width: 30.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'WAR TRAFFIC MUST / COME FIRST' (Slogan, at the top of the poster)
  • 'DON'T WASTE TRANSPORTATION / ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS IN COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION' (At the bottom of the poster, the first line in larger letters than the second)
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
Other number
LS.2418 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.855-2004

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Record createdJanuary 25, 2005
Record URL
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