Sport inspired war posters
Australian First World War recruitment poster by Harry Weston advertising a 'Sportsman's Recruiting Day' Friday 27 July 1917. It features a man donning his soldier's uniform and his disgarded sporting equipment including a football, boxing gloves, a tennis racket and golf clubs are visible. Australian War Memorial ARTV06114
An Australian First World War recruitment poster by Harry J Weston designed to target the Australian love of sport and recruit men for a unit manned entirely by sportsmen. A soldier in full uniform set against a dramatic red background points a finger straight at the viewer, attracting our attention and thus demanding a response. Australian War Memorial ARTV05666
This Australian A.I.F. First World War recruitment poster appeals to the viewer's sense of filial duty as an encouragement to join up. In the top left corner, set against a yellow background, is a depiction of an Australian Soldier in profile dressed in full military uniform carrying his rifle. In direct contrast a man in the lower right corner sits against a dark background in cricket whites, lounging in a deck chair. Surrounded by his sports equipment, he is enjoying a drink while he reads a book. The title text in white on a red background divides the images. Australian War Memorial ARTV00147
Sporting themes were used in Australian World War One recruitment posters.
Harry John Weston, born in Tasmania in 1874, was a cartoonist and commercial artist who established his own business as a commercial artist in Melbourne. Weston was among a group of artists selected to create posters for recruitment campaigns.
By 1903, Harry Weston was a well-known poster artist. During World War One he was commissioned to create recruitment posters, some of which used sporting images to encourage men to enlist.
As the First World War dragged on, a concerted propaganda campaign was needed to help fill the ranks. The poster was a useful for propaganda as it was cheap and easy to mass produce, and highly visible. The States' recruiting committees selected artists with well recognised skills and previous commercial experience to design the posters.
Australian First World War recruitment poster advertising a 'Sportsman's Recruiting Day' from 27 July 1917 was created by Harry Weston. It features an image of a man donning his soldier's uniform on the left side of the poster. In the right his disgarded sporting equipment including a football, boxing gloves, a tennis racket and golf clubs are visible.
"U are wanted in the Sport's Unit” was created in 1917 and played to the Australian love of sport.
“Which picture would your father like to show his friends?” created by Harry Weston appeals to a sense of duty by contrasting two men the Australian soldier or the man lounging in his cricket whites enjoying a drink while reading a book.