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Object Timeline

1943

  • Work on this object began.

1987

  • We acquired this object.

2014

2015

2024

  • You found it!

Poster, This is the Enemy

This is a Poster. It was designed by Barbara J. Marks and made for (as the client) Office of War Information. It is dated 1943 and we acquired it in 1987. Its medium is lithograph on paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

Illustrated by Barbara Marks for the Office of War Information, this WWII-era poster portrays an image of a Nazi soldier stabbing a Bible. Since posters can be an inexpensive way to disseminate information quickly, they became a viable medium of persuasion and information during wartime in America. They were generally shared in public spaces, including schools and offices, which made them easily accessible to a wider audience. As a common tool of warfare, propaganda posters are often powerful symbols that greatly influence people’s perceptions.

This object was donated by Unknown donor: unsolicited gift. It is credited Gift of Unknown Donor.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 71.3 × 51 cm (28 1/16 × 20 1/16 in.)

Cite this object as

Poster, This is the Enemy; Designed by Barbara J. Marks (American); Client: Office of War Information; USA; lithograph on paper; H x W: 71.3 × 51 cm (28 1/16 × 20 1/16 in.); Gift of Unknown Donor; 1987-24-24

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18622269/ |title=Poster, This is the Enemy |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=26 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>