Keep ’Em Going!
“Keep ’Em Going!” is one of the most forceful home-front posters of the First World War, and one of the few aimed squarely at America’s railroad shops. A black steam locomotive bearing a red, white and blue U.S. shield bursts toward the viewer in a cloud of steam and yellow light, while a caricatured Prussian soldier in a spiked helmet is shoved down and out of its path.
What the poster says
The text beneath the picture is credited to William G. McAdoo, Director General of Railroads: “Every bad order locomotive is a Prussian soldier. Every live locomotive is an American soldier. Let us get on top of the Prussian locomotives and make American soldiers out of them.” A “bad order” engine was railroad language for one out of service and waiting for repair. The poster turns getting it back on the rails into a patriotic act, as important as a soldier at the front.
The railroads go to war
Rail was the backbone of the war effort, moving troops, coal, food and munitions to the Atlantic ports. By late 1917 the network was badly congested, and on December 26, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson placed the major railroads under federal control. McAdoo, already Secretary of the Treasury, became Director General of the new United States Railroad Administration, which ran the system for the rest of the war.
The design
The locomotive is so large it nearly fills the sheet, and the U.S. shield on its front makes it unmistakably national. The enemy figure is small, stooped and pushed aside. The caricature reflects the propaganda conventions of 1917 and 1918 and is shown here as historical evidence. Above it all, “Keep ’Em Going!” works as both a workshop instruction and a national rallying cry.
The archival record
The Library of Congress catalogues the poster as a colour lithograph printed by Ketterlinus of Philadelphia, measuring about, with a supplied date of 1917. Its record carries the advisory “No known restrictions on publication.”
The restored edition
Our edition was restored from the Library of Congress scan of an original print. The scanner surround and colour targets were removed, fading, stains and edge wear repaired, and the blue sky, yellow steam and red lettering brought back to full strength at 300 dpi. The restoration squared up the composition, so the before and after are shown separately rather than as a slider.
The restored poster is available as a paper print in three sizes or framed in black, white or natural wood, printed to order in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
What does Keep ’Em Going mean on the WWI railroad poster?
It urged railroad shop workers to keep locomotives in service. The poster says every broken-down (bad order) locomotive is like an enemy soldier and every working one is like an American soldier.
Who is quoted on the Keep ’Em Going poster?
The message is credited to William G. McAdoo, Director General of Railroads, who ran the United States Railroad Administration after the federal government took control of the railroads on December 26, 1917.
Who printed the poster?
The Library of Congress records Ketterlinus of Philadelphia as the printer and supplies a date of 1917. The artist is not named on the poster.
What sizes is the restored print available in?
Paper prints are available at 11.7 x 16.5, 20 x 28 and 23.4 x 33.1 inches, and framed prints at 12 x 17, 20 x 28 and 23 x 33 inches in black, white or natural wood.