Hunger: For three years America has fought starvation in Belgium, 1918
Henry Raleigh (American, 1880-1945); United States Food Administration; Chicago: Edwards & Deutsch Litho. Co.
Lithograph on paper
On loan from Celia Malone Kingsbury
A horrific travesty resulting from the ravages of war is the innocent civilians who went hungry and homeless. The newly founded United States Food Administration implored Americans to conserve food and send as much as possible overseas to aide America’s military, allied forces and civilians. This assistance helped offset food shortages as farmlands in many European nations were destroyed or abandoned. While partly a humanitarian effort, the donation of food was rooted in strategy: hungry allies are weak allies, strengthened only by the ammunition of nourishment. Thus, conservation became a hallmark of homefront activities in cities and towns across the country. This poster presents the viewer with an image of an emaciated mother and her children, pleading to those who could help end the suffering of innocent civilians.