Two jobs in one composition
The Library of Congress identifies this Mine More Coal design as Walter Whitehead’s 1918 work for the United States Fuel Administration. A miner holding a pick stands back to back with a soldier carrying a rifle. The instruction links increased coal production with supporting men in the trenches.
The figures share a similar scale and a common ground. That pairing gives industrial work a dignity comparable with military service, while their different tools make their roles immediately clear.
Why the pairing matters
The poster turns an abstract supply problem into a relationship between two people. Fuel is not pictured as a distant statistic; the miner’s labour is visually connected with the soldier’s position. The warm background and strong outlines make the two figures easy to read.
Several wartime designs use the phrase “Mine More Coal”. This article concerns the miner-and-soldier version, not the separate eagle-and-shield design. Identifying the picture as well as the slogan prevents different posters from being given the same artist or catalogue history.