1918 Haskell World War I Pictorial Propaganda Broadside

This is a 1918 William Haskell World War I (1914 - 1918) pictorial propaganda broadside. A portrait of President Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924) with American flags and a bald eagle is the focal point. Portraits of General John J. Pershing (1860 - 1948), and Admiral William Sims (1858 - 1936) flank Wilson's portrait on the left and right, respectively. General Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, while Admiral Sims commanded U.S. naval forces in Europe. Below the trio, illustrations of an Army soldier and his sweetheart, and a Navy sailor with his sweetheart, adorn the left and right. A poem by an unknown author entitled 'To the Boys in Khaki' sends the sweethearts' (and the country's) blessings and best wishes to the 'Soldier boy Somewhere in France'. A stirring image of an armed Uncle Sam striding 'over the top' (a phrase used to describe a World War I era charge out of a trench along the Western Front) across the Atlantic to Europe, where a German soldier cowers below his cape visually dominates the image. A fleet of American airplanes follows Uncle Sam across the Atlantic, bringing American firepower to bear against the enemy.

Publication History and Census

This broadside was created by William Haskell and published by Charles Gustrine in 1918. We are aware of only one other cataloged example, which appears in OCLC at the Chicago Pritzker Military Museum and Library.