Speaker discusses 'Art of War' at McHenry Museum

Bullets were a powerful weapon on the battlefields of Europe, but when it came time to battle at home during World War II marketing proved their equal.

Join speaker Robert Frenz as he marks the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at the McHenry County Historical Museum, 6422 Main St. in Union.

In "The Art of War," Frenz will discuss wartime propaganda posters from his collection and the artists who created them.

Admission is $5 for McHenry County Historical Society members, $10 for nonmembers. It includes admission to the museum (open 1 to 4 p.m.) and to the World War I exhibit now on display in "The James" mobile museum.

The hearts and minds of the American people were a top objective. Artists and filmmakers were recruited to distill the government's message and publicize it on posters, on radio and in movies on a variety of fronts.

Americans were encouraged to defend their country, ration food, conserve energy, purchase war bonds, maintain secrecy and plant Victory Gardens. Posters urged folks to "Grow your own, Can your own" and to "Stamp Out Black Markets" by using ration stamps and paying no more than "legal prices."

The Office of War Information was created in 1942 to craft and spread the government's message. Posters urging Americans to "Save Tires," "Think Safety" and "Join a Car-Sharing Club" were placed in railway stations, airports, post offices, schools and apartment buildings.

The Red Cross, General Electric, Stetson Hat Company and other organizations also created thousands of patriotic posters, tapping into positive, patriotic themes as well as the repercussions from not doing one's part. "Loose Lips Might Sink Ships" is but one example.

"Forty years ago I inherited a couple World War I posters from my grandparents," Frenz said. "They were found inside a trunk in a barn up in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and they were in perfect condition. That is how I got interested in them."

The connection for the now-retired Huntley High School history teacher was immediate.

"In the 1990s, the Art Institute of Chicago had a big exhibit on World War II posters," Frenz said. "I was fascinated by these posters and the different stories they told about the war. I started collecting them, mostly buying them online. I now have 35 to 40 World War II posters and another 30 to 34 posters from World War I."

How can you tell the originals from the fakes? Frenz said the colors and sizes used are big tells, as well as the poster's condition. Originals generally were folded or rolled up, so you find creases. Most also were signed by the artists and labeled with the sponsoring agencies.

"A lot of it was marketing before social marketing started," Frenz said. "Certainly the war bond posters were very effective. There were 85 million bondholders during the (second world) war."

To learn more, visit mchenrycountyhistory.org or follow the museum on Facebook.