Beat Back the Hun with Liberty Bonds

New York illustrator Frederick Charles Strothmann created this striking, memorable war poster for the fourth liberty loan campaign of 1918. Like Ellsworth Young (see no. 48), he executed this provocative work in response to the US Department of the Treasury’s goal of communicating the German military threat to America’s shores. Strothmann placed a German soldier with bloody bayonet and hands holding onto a land of smoking ruins, suggesting Belgium or France, while looking at the viewer across a large body of water, presumably the Atlantic Ocean. The “hun’s” green eyes reinforce this sinister intent. The artist’s succinct, concise style suggests knowledge of the Sachplakat graphic design movement in Germany, renowned for bold commercial posters with masses of flat colors, and simple lines and designs. Even though his parents were German emigrants to the US, Strothmann relied on the prevalent stereotype of the invading German “hun” for his bold, strong design.