A visual history of the era of the World Wars

History repeats itself.

Posters, photos and documents from past wars — with context, translation and parallels to today.

WarCountry

Year

Items: 12

Poster: “You buy a Liberty Bond lest I perish · Buy your Victory Bonds”

Poster: “You buy a Liberty Bond lest I perish · Buy your Victory Bonds”

1917–1918 · United States / Canada · WWIBuy Bonds — Support Your Country!When an army is short not of men but of money, the finger points at your wallet.

Poster: “Fate tutti il vostro dovere! · Отчего вы не въ арміи?”

Poster: “Fate tutti il vostro dovere! · Отчего вы не въ арміи?”

1917, 1919 · Italy / Russia · WWI / 1917–22Do your duty, all of you! · Why are you not in the army?A White Army poster of 1919 is an almost literal repaint of an Italian one.

Poster: “Your first duty is to take your part in ending the war”

1915 · Ireland · WWIYour Empire Needs You!The Irish were called to fight for an empire, and promised self-government in return.

Poster: “Who’s absent? Is it you?”

1915 · United Kingdom · WWIWho’s absent? Is it you?In 1915 the British finger stopped inviting and started shaming.

Poster: “Britons. [Kitchener] Wants You · I Want You for U.S. Army”

Poster: “Britons. [Kitchener] Wants You · I Want You for U.S. Army”

1914, 1917 · United Kingdom / United States · WWIYour Country Needs You!This gesture was invented in London in 1914, but it became famous in America.

Poster: “1778 — 1943. Americans will always fight for liberty”

1943 · United States · WWII1778 — 1943. Americans will always fight for libertyTo explain why men should go to war in 1943, the poster calls the soldiers of 1778 as witnesses.

Poster: “Чужого не хочу, а свого не віддам!”

1917 · Ukrainian People’s Republic · 1917–21I don’t want what isn’t mine, and I won’t give up what is!This slogan is more than a hundred years old, yet it reads like a Ukrainian social-media post from 2022.

Poster: “Lookout in the Blackout. Until your eyes get used to the darkness, take it easy”

Poster: “Lookout in the Blackout. Until your eyes get used to the darkness, take it easy”

1939–1946 · United Kingdom · WWIILookout in the Blackout. Until your eyes get used to the darkness, take it easyBritain's best night-fighter ace was nicknamed "Cat's Eyes". The papers were given a simple explanation: he ate a lot of carrots.

Poster: “Lookout in the Blackout. Think before you cross the road”

Poster: “Lookout in the Blackout. Think before you cross the road”

1939–1946 · United Kingdom · WWIILookout in the Blackout. Think before you cross the roadIn the first months of the Second World War, it wasn't bombs that killed Britons. It was dark streets.

Poster: “Every Canadian Must Fight”

1941–1942 · Canada · WWIIEvery Canadian Must FightA worker stands at a soldier's shoulder, holding a magazine ready for his submachine gun. There is no enemy on the poster. There are two people fighting together: one at the front, the other on the home front.

Poster: “Belgian Red Cross”

c. 1915 · United Kingdom · WWIBelgian Red CrossBy 1914 the world already had a symbol of war crimes: Leuven.

Poster: “Світовий мир на Україні!”

1919 · Ukrainian People’s Republic · 1917–21World Peace in Ukraine!In 1919 the world was talking about peace. Ukraine was fighting on every border.