US careless talk poster featuring a train with a line of soldiers preparing to board to warn the public to guard what they say because any bit of information could endanger soldiers. The careless talk series of US propaganda posters was an Army Services project, distributed by the Office of War Information. This office was set up in June 1942 to manage the war on the Home Front by disseminating ideas, propaganda, and information about the war effort, such as the dangers of enemy spies. The OWI controlled the design and distribution of war information to the American public in posters, photographs, radio shows, and films. The careless talk series originated in 1940 in Great Britain. 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.
US careless talk poster depicting soldiers boarding a train
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988 by David and Zelda Silberman.
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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.
Offset color lithographic poster in black and white of soldiers in overseas caps and greatcoats, with heavy backpacks with helmets boarding a train. In the foreground is a closeup of 1 soldier boarding, several sticking their heads out the train window, and a long line on the right. The image is enclosed in a printed black frame with a white border.
overall: Height: 27.875 inches (70.803 cm) | Width: 22.000 inches (55.88 cm)
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