"Remember Last December. Enlist in Your Navy Today" Vintage WWII Poster

This is an original WWII poster by John Falter, published in 1942. The poster features a US Navy sailor, standing resolutely in front of a waving American flag. The poster urges Americans to “REMEMBER LAST DECEMBER!” and “ENLIST IN YOUR NAVY TODAY” along the top and bottom of the poster. There is also a quote from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address that reads, “that free peoples may not perish from this earth.” A moving piece of propaganda, this Navy recruitment poster invokes the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor of December 7, 1941. The December 7th attack on the naval base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killed over 2,000 soldiers and destroyed approximately 200 planes and nearly 20 ships. The United States entered the war the next day, December 8, and the attack became a rallying cry for the war effort. John Philip Falter (1910-1982) developed his artistic skills at an early age, even designing a mural for his local soda shop when still a teenager. For a few years, Falter worked as a comic strip artist on a strip entitled "Down Thru the Ages," for the local Falls City Journal, in Falls City, Nebraska. He expanded his talents at the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduating, he won a scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City. Falter’s first steady job started in 1933 with Liberty Magazine. For $75 dollars a week, he was hired to create three illustrations weekly. Increasingly aware of the lucrative nature of advertisements, the artist began seeking opportunities for such work. Some of his regular advertising clients included Gulf Oil, Four Roses Whiskey, Arrow Shirts, and Pall Mall. Following the onset of World War II, Falter enlisted in the Navy. He was promoted rapidly, while designing over 300 recruiting posters for the government. Many of them served domestic purposes and were geared toward women, like the WAVES campaign (“Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service”). He also designed many posters for the Navy Recruitment Board, as seen here. CONDITION: Very good+ condition. Color poster. Color is vibrant and bright. Paper is healthy, save creases in margins, faint damp stain to lower left corner. Artist’s name “John Falter USNR” printed in image, along left side. “Order No. 13” and the poster’s NRB number printed at lower left and right margins. Framed to archival standards with acid-free mats, UV plexiglas, and a custom-built wooden frame. Framed Dimensions: 43 3/4" H x 32 1/2" W x 1 3/4" D. Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.