Discuss the role that illustration can

play during periods of political and/or

social upheaval, focusing on
propaganda in posters

Elizabeth Patrick

What is propaganda?
Propaganda is the systematic
propagation of information or ideas by
an interested party in order to
encourage or instill a particular
attitude or response. (Feabryne,
2014)

The Five Images I have selected:

Background Information
All the posters are linked.
They are all from particular time periods
from either WW1, WW2 or the Cold War.
They all use propaganda.
The posters use imperative verbs and
commands: go now keep.
When the posters were made, photography
would be grey scale and pixelated-drawing
was clearer and simpler, and easier to
produce. Drawings can also express
characters and personality.

Image 1
WWII propaganda poster,
1940, Careless talk cost
lives
Function: Poster to inform
people that information
needs to be kept confidential
Primary colours are used,
draws attention to the poster.
There is a wide target
audience.
The image is very simple,
symmetrical, each half
reflects the other half

Image 2
How Communism Works poster,
1938.
Function: To scare people that
Russian communism will take
over the world.
The image is screen printed. It
can reach mass audiences.
Predominantly red colours used,
to show danger, communism.
The poster was targeted at
adults.

Image 3
Women of Britain Say Go
poster, 1914
Function: Targeted at men
and women to encourage
men to fight- using
persuasive techniques
Rule of 3 in the composition
Blues and oranges are used
to create contrast.

Image 4
Is this tomorrow poster, 1947.
Function: Pressure men to protect
their women, encouraging them
to enlist.
Style of a comic book, showing
American patriotism
Colours used are red and green,
opposites on the colour wheel.
Text is powerful- toying with
peoples emotions
Target audience is men, as it
shows the women being
attacked.

Image 5
You are needed now
poster, 1915.
Function: make people
feel guilty and enlist.
Focus on the wording.
Serious, formal tone.
Patriotic colours used.
Target audience:
targeted at men who
were able to fight.

Propaganda Theory and How It

Functions
According to Katz et.al (1955):

..the newspaper, and later the radio, were feared as

powerful weapons able to rubberstamp ideas upon the
minds of defenseless readers and listeners. In the 1920s,
it was widely held that the newspapers and their
propaganda got us into the war, while in the 1930s,
many saw in the Roosevelt campaign proof that a
golden voice on the radio could sway men in any
direction.
The messages were direct and powerful, and wanted to
create an immediate response from the audience.

Mahaneys Theory

Image 4
and 5
Image 3
4 have
emotion
Image
12
have
humor
Image 5
4 3 are
direct

Patriotism, Fear and Cultural

Identity
Patriotism
For many people patriotic beliefs also have behavioural implications by
motivating people to take certain action (Bar-Tal, 1993)
This is shown in Image 5, using the union flag image and patriotic colours.
This motivates people: me, my country.
Fear/ Common enemy
Image 4 and 2 represent fear and common enemy.
Octopus= Common enemy, Communism taking over
Flag in flames= fear
Aim of these images is to scare the audience in to action.
Cultural Identify/ Icons
The countries flags are used as cultural icons.
Image 1 has the background of the pub= cultural Identity with the British.
Image 3 uses British clothing and British countryside so people can identify
with the image.

Visual journal

I have tried to use

a different media
to create this
image.
I wanted to draw a
caricature of
David Cameron.
I decided to draw
a checkered suit
as a visual pun,
playing on
humour, as people
refer to him as a
joke.
Dodgy
Dave

The End
Thank you for watching. Any
questions?

Bibliography

Bar-Tal, D., (1993) Patriotism as fundamental beliefs of group members.

Politics and the Individual, 3(2), pp.45-62.
BBC News (2016) Dennis Skinner kicked out of Commons for calling David
Cameron "dodgy Dave" - BBC News. Accessed on 03/05/16 Accessed
online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvIUa47x_Oc
Feabryne (2014) Propaganda and the Second Red Scare. Accessed on:
27/04/2016 Accessed Online:
https://propagandacritic.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/propaganda-and-the-se
cond-red-scare/
Katz, E. and Lazarsfeld, P.F., (1955). Personal Influence, The part played by
people in the flow of mass communications. Transaction Publishers. Page
16.
Mahaney, D.C., (2002) Propaganda posters. OAH Magazine of History,
16(3), pp.41-46.