Scanning Around With Gene: When Printers Went to War


Figure 13. Because many products were in short supply and prices higher, some companies, such as Howard Paper shown here, featured over-the-top ads that placed blame squarely on the enemy. Rather than appeal to people’s intelligence for understanding the economic realities of war, these ads took emotional cheap shots. In the text for the Hitler ad (top) the company suggested that Hitler’s “agents in this country are fostering black markets, stirring up opposition to taxes, fomenting strikes for higher wages, searching for loopholes in the rationing set up and otherwise trying to make the war last longer and leave us all broke when it’s over.”

Figure 14. Some companies, such as Sam’l Bingham’s Son Manufacturing (top) and Cromwell Paper (bottom) didn’t exactly promote the War, but used military images and war themes in their ads.

Figure 15. Patriotism is defined a lot of ways, but I never would have said it was full of paper, as Champion Paper did in this 1941 ad (top). At least they didn’t say it was full of pulp. And one unexpected consequence of the gas rationing was a boost for direct-mail sales, as traveling salesmen had to curtail their wandering.

Figure 16. This racially motivated editorial cartoon ran in March, 1943. Not exactly sure what the point was considering that so many other references were made at the time that we were fighting for our freedom of the press, which as this cartoon proves, is not always something to be proud of.

Figure 17. The Ideal Roller & Manufacturing Company used this image in its ads, which also pledged that the company would not raise prices and “capitalize on the present trend of a sellers’ market.”

Figure 18. Promoting the importance of envelopes in war may seem like a stretch, but that’s exactly what the United States Envelope Company did in a series of ads (above and below).

Figure 19. Howard Allied Paper Mills suggested that one way to support the troops was to write more letters, presumably on Howard Bond.

Figure 20. Vandercook, a major supplier of proofing presses, suggested in February 1942 that it could still fill orders from previous stock despite turning over its manufacturing capabilities almost exclusively to the government.

Figure 21. The military may have been fighting the war with paper, but let’s hope they had plenty of bullets too.

Figure 22. If the company that made B-26 bombers used Strathmore paper for its letterhead, then it must be good. At least that’s the tone of this 1941 ad for the Strathmore Paper Company.

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Gene Gable has spent a lifetime in publishing, editing and the graphic arts and is currently a technology consultant and writer. He has spoken at events around the world and has written extensively on graphic design, intellectual-property rights, and publishing production in books and for magazines such as Print, U&lc, ID, Macworld, Graphic Exchange, AGI, and The Seybold Report. Gene's interest in graphic design history and letterpress printing resulted in his popular columns "Heavy Metal Madness" and "Scanning Around with Gene" here on CreativePro.com.
  • anonymous says:

    Some of this reminds me of Catch-22. Few would argue the necessity to fight World War II., though that war, like the current conflict, highlights the breakdown of constructive policy and long-term thinking in foreign policy. The article has a subtext of business being business, in war as in peace. I love this stuff.

  • anonymous says:

    Are you real? Ever heard of the blogosphere? Never gotten an anti-war email? Electronic publishing is real, and now so influential that it is covered on 24 hours news channels and commercial (mainstream) media.

    A number of these blogs and activist websites (say http://www.democraticunderground.com) have prolific graphics threads. Graphics created by pro’s, design and art students, and just regular people.

    I also would like to point out that recently 7 designers refused in protest to attend the National Design Awards Gala hosted by Laura Bush at the White House.

    See: https://www.designobserver.com/archives/015742.html

    I must say, you almost had me there while you were discussing the “print” industry and the lack of political motivation. . .but when you said:

    “I dream of the day when more young people figure out that new technology, like text messaging and podcasts, can be a catalyst for social change, just as the printing press once was. “

    My jaw hit the floor. And let me tell you — it’s not just young people. It’s young, boomers, retirees, etc. . .using the web to publish. The beauty of the internet is that you don’t NEED expensive equipment to publish, anyone can do it.

    Maybe the printing industry is no longer involved politically, because it no longer needs to be. The internet can do much that it once did — and more.

  • GeneGable says:

    Ann is right–I did not give fair consideration to the many strong voices that are out there trying to stimulate change. And while I agree that these new media outlets can be very powerful, I’m not sure if they will ever replace the sort of civil disobedience that helped this nation overcome segregation or the Vietnam War.

    If opposition isn’t making the news on a regular basis, I don’t think it is very effective. Bloggers typically are talking to like-minded people, so while this can help build momentum, it will never garner the sort of attention that a sit-in or massive ralley in Washington does. At least not yet!

    I applaud everyone who is making their viewpoint known and who are trying to build support. No effort is minor in this regard and I apologize for not recognizing the many voices that are out there.

    –Gene Gable

  • anonymous says:

    First of all, Great article. I for one, love those old War Bonds and “Loose Lips sink Ships” posters.

    It’s no secret that our nation is polarizing; many nations are polarizing. As liberals become more liberal, conservatives become more conservative, and vice versa. And I think most would agree that overall, the Graphic Design industry is dominated by liberal thought. In the last few years, in design books and publications, I’ve seen a lot (I’d say excessive) Anti-Bush rhetoric, nothing Pro-Bush, and very little “Support our Troops” design work. Our industry has become political.

    In 1941 the nation united against a common enemy. Today, many see the enemy as the US Government, specifically the Bush Administration. The loudest critics are liberal. And with an industry so dominated by liberal thinking, speaking out in favor of the war would be occupational suicide. And because the major cities in the US are also the biggest design hubs, speaking in favor of the war not only alienates you from potential employers, it also alienates you from potential clients.

    Today, the Web is King. It’s cheap and unrestrictive, which means it’s big, overwhelming, and diluted with content. Informative? Of course! But why print and pay for a poster when you can multiply the content and distribution exponentially for little-to-no cost.

    You can get your pro-war pro-Bush, anti-war anti-Bush information anywhere you’d like; at your desktop, your laptop, your palm pilot, or your cellphone, so the information and support of either side of the issue is still there, but it will never be as classic, catching, or unifying as the posters of the 1930s and 40s. Unfortunately, I think those days are long gone.

    The design community does come together for certain political/social causes – and that is to be commended – but I can’t forsee supporting a war ever again being one of them.

  • anonymous says:

    I was born in 1929 so I remember only too well the war years. We were a simpler nation then and a simpler people. I do not know if that is good or bad but I cannot imagine telling my grandchildren that there is a curfew, that there are no ration stamps left for butter or meat or “no” to almost anything for that matter. I now live outside the US because I like the simple way of life where I no longer have to own a car; I walk to the store and go to bed early to conserve energy. I did not approve of this war but now that we are in it, I pray we win it because if we don’t the entire world will be a nasty place in which to live. I guess I feel the way I do because I watched daily as Hitler marched across Europe. I remember exactly where I was when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I wonder how many of us are really committed to keep 911 from ever happening again.

  • anonymous says:

    I enjoyed reviewing the old war posters…I am in the Navy (with a prior enlisted background as a Marine). I probably have a much different perspective from most readers of this forum. What strikes me most is not only the business aspect of promoting the war, but the complete political desegregation—absolutely no mention of the President nor of the politics. The focus is on the enemy. Unfortunately, in today’s world, the focus on the enemy is a kaleidoscope with the unity of effort being directed in many directions with little positive effect.

  • anonymous says:

    Even though I found the poster interesting I found myself disappointed. I feel it takes more guts to support the war. Yes, we hate war also, but sometimes it is necessary! Please don’t call me uninformed, stupid, racist, uneducated, hillbilly, right-winged or religous. I am informed, have family over there, educated and sadden with each death. I feel we need to give this war a 100% or get out today! Our jelly fish representives that want a non-binding crap should get a backbone. I would like to see a poster on Get the job done and come home! Of course you will not see this–it would be all anti Bush administration.

  • anonymous says:

    I wonder how many out there know just how many democratic Muslim governments there are in the Near East? If my memory serves me correctly there are only two – Turkey and Egypt (sleightly). Now there is a chance for three – Iraq. In the Western world you have to look hard NOT to find a free democrtic government and society – and we gripe about the war! Shame on us!

  • anonymous says:

    Very interesting take. Thanks for the anti-war designers link too.

  • anonymous says:

    Many of the images depicted in the ads are caricatures of Hitler, Stalin, and Hirohito. I do not see how these images could be construed as “racist”, any more than a picture of Saddam Hussein would be racist. Instead, they were specific symbols of the evils we were fighting. And guess what: we won that war. We helped free France, protect Britain, break the stranglehold of Nazism throughout Europe, etc. AND, we had a much better worldwide reputation than we do now. Perhaps if we were not so self-deprecating today, we might have already been finished in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and would have our reputation in tact.

  • anonymous says:

    Like many writers who try to be objective and politically correct at the same time, the author is all over the map. Does the war in Iraq come anywhere close to comparing to WWII, the largest war in history? I don’t think so, so why make comparisons to WWII war efforts? Why does he think some war posters are racist simply because the Japanese military, many of the leaders of which were sentenced as war criminals after the war, are identified in them?

    If you want an accurate picture of Japanese war crimes, read “Through the Valley of the Kwai” by Ernest Gordon, Harper& Row, 1962. Library of Congress #62-11127. It’s not the book by Boulle the movie was based on. This is the real thing. pg. 74: “On one occasion a whole string of barges came floating downriver to our camp. Their cargo consisted of corpses-the bodies of prisoners from upcountry. They were no more than skeletons covered with skin.”

    The war in Iraq, as difficult as it is, is nowhere near as bad as WWII. But the article has an interesting collection of war posters and ads. War is generally the result of greed, ego, politics and propaganda. While some wars can’t be avoided (WWII), others can.

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