For Home and Country, 1918
Alfred Everitt Orr (American, 1886-1931?)
Lithograph on paper
Collection of Celia Malone Kingsbury
By the fifth and final loan drive, the Victory Loan, the end of the Great War was in sight. Americans longed for the return of the family, with the father-husband returning to the fold. This was a universal resolution for post-war Americans, as World War I resulted in, for most, the furthest and longest separation of the patriarch from the family unit. In a male-dominated society, the return of men meant the restoration of tranquility, as depicted in this poster by Alfred Everitt Orr. The soldier lifts up his son, who clutches his neck to prevent his father from ever leaving him again. His wife exhibits a longing gaze toward her husband, as all has returned to normal on the home front.