Description
The America’s Answer! Production poster
America’s Answer! Production was designed by the French poster artist Jean Carlu for the Division of Information of the Office for Emergency Management, and printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office. A huge black work glove grips a steel wrench, the wrench’s jaws close on a red bolt, and the bolt becomes the letter O in PRODUCTION. Tool, hand and word lock together in a single image: the factory worker is part of the war effort.
The design was first issued in June 1941 as the first of a series of production posters for display in defense plants across the United States, months before Pearl Harbor. It was reprinted in 1942 once America was in the war, and won Carlu a medal from the New York Art Directors Club. It is now regarded as one of the classic modernist posters of the Second World War.
Jean Carlu (1900–1997) lost his right arm in an accident at 18 and taught himself to draw with his left. A leading Art Deco designer in Paris, he came to New York in 1939 to organise the French pavilion at the World’s Fair and stayed when Germany occupied France.
Read the full history of the poster.
Restored edition
Restored from a photograph of an original print. The fold lines, creases, stains and yellowing were removed, the white paper brought back, and the black, red and blue returned to full strength, while the lettering and Carlu’s signature are kept from the original. Drag the before and after slider below to compare.
Sizes and options
- Paper print (landscape): 16.5 × 11.7 in, 28 × 20 in or 33.1 × 23.4 in
- Framed print (landscape): 17 × 12 in, 28 × 20 in or 33 × 23 in, in a black, white or natural wood frame, ready to hang
Printed to order in the USA on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Art paper. Free Standard shipping to the US. Compare the print sizes.
More posters
See Rivets Are Bayonets: Drive Them Home!, or browse the Home Front collection.
