US careless talk poster with an image of a coiled rattlesnake with blood dripping fangs warning people that sharing war related information was even more dangerous than this snake. The careless talk series of US propaganda posters was an Army Services project, distributed by the Office of War Information, which was created in June 1942 to manage the war on the Home Front. The OWI controlled the design and distribution of war information to the American public in all formats. The goal was to place posters in street level windows of every business in every town across the United States. Posters were exchanged every two weeks, and artwork was commissioned from leading artists. The careless talk series originated in 1940 in Great Britan. It highlighted the many ways that careless talk could leak sensitive information that our enemies would use to kill soldiers, sink ships, and undermine the war effort.
No restrictions on use
US propaganda poster showing careless talk is more dangerous than a rattlesnake
No restrictions on access
The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was created on June 13, 1942, to centralize and control the content and production of government information and propaganda about the war. It coordinated the release of war news for domestic use, and using posters along with radio broadcasts, worked to promote patriotism, warn about foreign spies, and recruit women into war work. The office also established an overseas branch, which launched a large-scale information and propaganda campaign abroad. The government appealed to the public through popular culture and more than a quarter of a billion dollars' worth of advertising was donated during the first three years of the National Defense Savings Program. Victory in Europe was declared on May 8, 1945, and in Japan on September 2, 1945. The OWI ceased operation in September.
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988 by David and Zelda Silberman.
overall: Height: 28.000 inches (71.12 cm) | Width: 20.000 inches (50.8 cm)
Offset color lithograph poster with an illustration of a coiled, brown and orange diamond patterned rattlesnake with the head raised, ready to strike with a wide open mouth with bared fangs dripping blood that puddles near its coils. The illustrator's name, Al Dorne, is printed within the image. The poster was made to fold into eighths for mailing and has printed postal information on the back.