Propaganda Postcards WWI WWII - 1Earth Antiques and Appraisals Magazine

SUBJECT MATTER World War I and World War II postcards display a variety of subject matter and artistic style. Most cards are either photographic (black and white; color photography postcards didn't come along until the 1950s) or artist-illustrated (predominantly color).
	Some wartime images depict naval shipping, Red Cross messages, military leaders, soldiers or flags, while outright propaganda is more pointedly designed to recruit public opinion toward a given cause.
In World War I, Britain was forced to declare war when Germany invaded Belgium. They had the most sophisticated propaganda, because they had to start immediately to convince their citizens that it was the right thing to do.
	Early in the war, Americans were the target of German propaganda trying to keep them out of the war, and British propaganda trying to get the USA to join — and once we joined the effort, we needed our own propaganda.
Examples of American World War I propaganda postcards include illustrations of German leaders with pig faces and images emphasizing the ravages of war, such as an artist's illustration of a mother leaning over a dead child with the inscription, "The Germans have passed through here". Many World War II cards employed caricature to get their message across, such as an image of a big U.S.A. fist knocking the teeth out of a cartoonish Japanese solider. Other common World War II images include the famous "Loose Lips Sink Ships," and messages stressing the importance of rationing gas and other precious resources. These images were intended to get people involved on two fronts: to get approval for the cause, and to serve as a morale-builder, to maintain the feeling of patriotism for both troops and civilians. INTRODUCTION CONDITION, CARE, AND KEEPING MARKET REFERENCE Propaganda Postcards of World War II by Ron Menchine The Postcard Price Guide, 4th Ed., A Comprehensive Reference by J. Mashburn World War II Homefront Collectibles: Price & Identification Guide by Martin Jacobs You'll find some antique postcards in on-line auctions, but retail availability is quite limited, with only a few stores scattered around the nation.