James Montgomery Flagg (1877–1960), designer

I Want You for U.S. Army

Printed recruiting poster, backed by linen

New York City, United States

Leslie-Judge Co.

1917

Signature to right, imprint to bottom

29 1/4 x 39 1/2 in., framed to 31 1/2 x 42 in. 

Original World War I U.S. Army recruitment poster designed by renowned American illustrator James Montgomery Flagg (1877–1960). Features the universally recognized image of Uncle Sam pointing directly at the viewer above the iconic bold red and black headline "I Want You for U.S. Army / Nearest Recruiting Station." Originally created for the 6 July 1916 cover of Leslie's Weekly before being officially adapted for military mobilization upon the United States' entry into the First World War, Flagg's iconic portrait - modeled largely on his own facial features - became the defining image of American patriotic propaganda and stands as one of the most famous poster designs in global history. Original 1917 printings by the Leslie-Judge Co. are cornerstone pieces for advanced collectors of American military history, vintage poster art, and 20th-century graphic design. 

This is an original copy of arguably the single most famous poster in American history. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio. 

[World War I, WWI, Poster, Ephemera, Uncle Sam, Marines] 

Good. The poster presents with strong visual impact, exhibiting minor paper loss at the upper top center margin edge, expected minor edge wear, and faint overall age-toning consistent with unbacked century-old newsprint stock.