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A32 FEATURE
Monday 12 noveMber 2018

Trove of war posters discovered at New Hampshire library

By MICHAEL CASEY lost art form,” Sylvester said.
Associated Press “People don’t do this to
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — try and spread this kind of
One poster in a recently message anymore. These
discovered trove vilifies the are such simple messages.
Nazis with a sword through It’s just really laid on thick.”
a Bible and the words “This Benjamin Weiss, director of
Is the Enemy.” Some en- collections at Boston’s Mu-
couraged self-sacrifice by seum of Fine Arts who cu-
promoting recycling, plant- rated its current exhibit on
ing gardens and buying 175 propaganda postcards
potatoes. from the 1920s, 1930s and
Still others warned that 1940s, said certain themes
loose lips can literally sink stand out in these kinds of
ships and get American sol- messages.
diers killed. “Regardless the type of
This stash of 190 propa- regime, the type of nation
ganda posters from World involved, propaganda is
War I and World War II were designed to rally people to-
found last year on top of ward something and make
two sawhorses in the base- The exterior of the Rochester Public Library in Rochester, N.H., Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. people hate something,”
ment of a Rochester, New Associated Press he said.
Hampshire, library. “It’s meant to divide the
Fragile but mostly in good world into the people you
condition, the posters offer want to be part of, the
viewers a glimpse of what people who are opposed
life was like during war to you.”
time and the extent that Though he hadn’t heard
the American government about the New Hampshire
went to maintain support posters, Weiss said they also
for the conflict by playing illustrate the power of pro-
on fear, patriotism and civ- paganda with a focus on
ic duty. national themes.
“Some of these are re- “That is a key piece of this
ally neat,” library director which is they showed up in
Brian Sylvester said as he Rochester, New Hampshire
thumbed through the post- but they could just as easily
ers. of been in Rochester, New
“Most of them were about York or Rochester, Minne-
supporting the military,” he sota,” he said.
said. “I would call that the “These were things that
main theme. Patriotism. were created, in most cas-
Purchasing war bonds, es, probably at a central
growing a victory garden, An original Office of Price Administration rationing poster is shown from the archive at the Rochester point with the idea they are
being in support of ration- Public Library in Rochester, N.H., Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. going to reach the whole
ing all that stuff. There is Associated Press country and address the
a neat one that has all ist destinations in Britain or whole country.”
these pictures of bombs featuring a portrait of a sol- Sylvester said the library has
and stuff. The way the artist dier from an allied country no plans in the near future
drew it is there is a skillet at — China, the Netherlands to display the posters.
the top dumping out waste and even Ethiopia. There are concerns that
fat. That was used for muni- The best posters look like sunlight would cause the
tions.” something painted by Nor- colors to fade.
Sylvester said it is unclear man Rockwell, with one Instead, they have pho-
how the posters ended up for war bonds featuring tographed all the posters
in the library’s basement, children holding an Ameri- and are showing them on
but the themes give some can flag and another with a computer in the library.
clues that they were likely a nurse watching over a They are also planning to
there for decades. soldier with his eyes ban- host an expert from the
About 50 posters dating daged and the words Wright Museum of World
back to World War I cham- “Carry On.” War II history for a Nov. 29
pioned the American Red On the flip side, a poster lecture on the power of
Cross, which kept its re- has darker images of Na- war posters.
cords at the library. zis burning books and the “For me personally, it kind
Dozens more promoted words “Books cannot be of gave me an awareness
war bonds, while two doz- killed by fire.” that libraries played a role
en highlighted a World War Another plays on the ene- in those wars,” Sylvester
I program in which libraries my-in-our midst theme and said, adding they eventual-
collected books to be sent Brian Sylvester, director of the Rochester Public Library, examines features a soldier flounder- ly hope to get the UV-pro-
to troops overseas. original war posters at the library’s archive in Rochester, N.H., ing at sea with the words tected glass and acid-free
Many more look like big Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. “Someone talked.” matting needed to display
post cards, promoting tour- Associated Press “The posters are almost a the original posters.q