United States anti-Nazi poster of Joseph Goebbels reciting a speech

http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn85614-irn3745 an entity of type: Record

rico:history

The poster was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.

Chester Raymond Miller (1898-1968), known professionally as C.R. Miller and Chet Miller, was born in Howes Cave, New York. He was a self-trained artist, and worked as Art Director for Kelly-Read & Company. In this role, Miller designed posters for the Think American Institute (TAI) series of posters that was launched in 1939, and continued until the series was ended in approximately 1960-1961. Paul Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) was born in Rheydt, Germany, to Friedrich Goebbels, and Katharina Maria Odenhausen. He was the third of five children and the family members were strict Catholics. Goebbels had polio as a child, which left him with a deformed foot that hindered his ability to walk and exempted him from military service during World War I(1914-1918). He graduated from the University of Heidelberg in 1920 with a doctorate in German literature. In 1924, Goebbels joined the Nazi Party and became the editor of the Nazi paper, Völkische Freiheit (Folkish Freedom) in Ebersfeld, Germany. Goebbels rose swiftly through party ranks due to his organizational talent, deft use of propaganda techniques, and tireless work ethic. In 1926, Adolf Hitler appointed Goebbels Nazi Party chief (Gauleiter) for Greater Berlin. In 1928, Goebbels was elected to the Reichstag, representing the Nazi Party from Berlin. When Hitler and the Nazi Party ascended to power in 1933, Goebbels was appointed the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The ministry exerted control over film, radio, theater, and the press, and was responsible for promoting Nazi ideology and antisemitism. Goebbels created a massive propaganda campaign to win the loyalty of German citizens and their acquiescence in Nazi anti-Jewish measures. His propaganda praised values such as loyalty to the Führer and racial purity, and the persecution of Jews and other “dissident” groups. Goebbels was a chief instigator of Kristallnacht, the violent attack on the Jewish community in Germany on November 9, 1938. During World War II, Goebbels advocated for total war and used the propaganda ministry to keep public morale high. With allied troops advancing inside Berlin, Hitler, Goebbels, and several high ranking Nazis, their families, and staff members, were living in Hitler’s underground bunker. On April 30, Hitler committed suicide, leaving Goebbels as Reich Chancellor, which he held until May 1 when Goebbels killed himself and his family inside the bunker.

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irn3745

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United States anti-Nazi poster of Joseph Goebbels reciting a speech

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overall: Height: 28.875 inches (73.343 cm) | Width: 21.500 inches (54.61 cm)

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Anti-Nazi poster using a supposed quotation from Joseph Goebbels to justify American involvement in World War II, designed by Chester Raymond Miller in 1944, for the Think American Institute (TAI) as part of the Think American Poster Series. The Think American Institute was formed by a group of industrialists from Rochester, New York, to combat subversive propaganda they felt was infiltrating American business. The group aimed to preserve the social order, boost American morale, extend the institutions of American freedom, and aid the war effort after the U.S. entry into World War II. The group was led by William G. Bromley, president of Kelly-Read & Company, and the lead designer, Miller, who also served as the Art Director for Kelly-Read & Company. The Think American Series ran from 1939 to the early 1960s, and produced weekly posters with illustrated messages that were placed in financial, business, and educational organizations across America. The series produced over 300 poster designs during the war and over 1,000 overall, with the majority conceived by Miller. Joseph Goebbels was a National Socialist politician and propagandist. He joined the Nazi Party in 1924 and rose swiftly through the ranks. When Hitler and the Nazis ascended to power in 1933, Goebbels took over the Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The ministry exerted control over film, radio, theater, and the press, and was responsible for promoting Nazi ideology and antisemitism.

rico:conditionsOfAccess

No restrictions on access

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No restrictions on use

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Poster printed on off-white paper, with a white linen backing. The image depicts the silhouette of Joseph Goebbels standing in front of a microphone stand, both colored in dark black ink. Goebbels is thin, wears a service cap, and is holds a sheet of paper in his raised hand. He speaks into a rectangular microphone, decorated with a green swastika, mounted on a long, thin stand. Above him, in white is a quote of his, and orange cursive text is overlaid on his body. The background is colored with a blue gradient and the artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner. The publication information is in the lower left. There are several pinholes in each corner and small discolored areas across the surface. front, bottom, left corner, stamped, black ink : [illegible text] CO., INC. CLEVELEAND front, bottom left corner, handwritten, pencil : 16 / G front, bottom right corner, handwritten, pencil : p II 925

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