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Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?

Poster
1915 (made)
Artist/Maker
Parliamentary (publisher)
Lumley (artist)
Place of origin
United Kingdom (published)
London (published)

Until conscription was introduced in 1916, recruitment posters were an essential element in attracting young men to the armed forces during the 'Great War' of 1914-1918. Savile Lumley's poster has become one of the best known because of its tone of emotional blackmail. The idea was actually that of a printer, Arthur Gunn, who is reported to have imagined himself as the father in question. In fact, after having a sketch of the scene made up by Lumley in 1915, Gunn joined the Westminster Volunteers.

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Object details

Categories
Propaganda
Interiors
Prints
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleDaddy, what did YOU do in the Great War? (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph on paper
Lithographic Ink
Paper
Colour Lithography
Brief description
'Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?'. Colour lithograph poster designed by Savile Lumley and published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, London, during the First World War, 1915.
Physical description
'Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?'. Colour lithograph, portrait format, of man seated in armchair with small boy on floor playing with soldiers. On his knee a small girl holding an open book.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 76.3cm
  • Sheet width: 51cm
Measurements taken from: 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
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Commission, London.- Poster no. 79.'
  • 'Designed & Printed by Johnson, Riddle & Co. Ltd. London S.E.'
Production
Attribution note: This poster was issued by the Parlimentary Recruiting Commission in 1915. Conscription only began in 1916.
Reason For Production: Commission
Subjects depicted
War
Recruitment
Propaganda
Children
Armchair
Toy Soldiers
First World War
Summary
Until conscription was introduced in 1916, recruitment posters were an essential element in attracting young men to the armed forces during the 'Great War' of 1914-1918. Savile Lumley's poster has become one of the best known because of its tone of emotional blackmail. The idea was actually that of a printer, Arthur Gunn, who is reported to have imagined himself as the father in question. In fact, after having a sketch of the scene made up by Lumley in 1915, Gunn joined the Westminster Volunteers.
Bibliographic references
  • 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
  • Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1969
Other numbers
  • 25/F5 - V&A microfiche
  • No.79 - poster number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
CIRC.466-1969

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Record createdFebruary 18, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O74621/daddy-what-did-you-do-poster-lumley/
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