Hun or Home?

Hun or Home?

Liberty Bonds

This is an American propaganda poster that suggests purchasing liberty bonds is the way to choose and support the homeland over the enemy. The poster presents the image of a young woman carrying a child, fleeing a dark and shadowy figure- a Hun. This was a common way for Allied nations to depict the Germans, suggesting a barbaric and inhuman people. "Hun or Home?" the poster asks in large, bold letters at the top. Then, "Buy more liberty bonds." It is suggesting that if an American were to ignore the poster, they would be choosing the Hun over home. This poster would have appealed to an American audience immediately. There is very little text, and it is bold and in stark contrast to the yellow background. The Hun appears almost as a dark shadow, with very few human features. It is a demonized version of the enemy, and is quite frightening. The image itself is blurred, with rough and uneven edges on all the figures. There is very little color in the dark image, except for the red that is seen on the body of the child, the mother's cheeks, and on the hands of the Hun. There is a dark symbolism suggested with this use of color. Red, the color of blood and also the color commonly associated with anger and violence, seems to suggest the violence that the Hun either has or will inflict on the woman and the child. Such a suggestion would have been meant to inspire a will to help in whatever way possible. This image, like the text, is contrasted and bold against the background, and would have been capable of immediately drawing the attention of anyone passing by the poster. The image and text together make a strong case as to why you ought to purchase more liberty bonds. To do so is to choose the homeland, to choose the frightened woman and child over the dark, demonic-looking enemy.

J. Allen St. John

McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tulsa. 2933 E. 6th St. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-3123

Manz Engraving Co., Chicago

Between 1910-1920

English

1992.004.5.17

<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0"><Folder><name>OpenLayers export</name><description>Exported on Tue Feb 5 11:41:30 CST 2013</description></Folder></kml>||||osm
United States of America

Poster

69.8 x 52 cm