"At the Service of Mankind" Vintage Wwi Red Cross Poster by Lawrence Wilbur

View Similar Items

Fight with National War Bonds Vintage British WWI Poster, Circa 1917-18

U.S. Navy WWI Poster "We Clear the Way for Your Fighting Dollars, " 1918

1967 Hopetown International Moto Cross Poster by Earl Newman

Rare Large Vintage Laurel & Hardy Poster, "The Dancing Masters"

Vintage School Chart, a German Poster Depicting the Human Flea, Early 1900's

Vintage Original Alakh Niranjan Bollywood Movie Poster

Vintage Airline Poster of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, ca.1960

Art Deco Framed Cyprus Tourist Poster by Baynard Press of England

Vintage Poster of Japan Air Lines Depicting Singapore River and Raffles, ca.1960

Original Exhibition Poster of Picasso, Germany, 1965

A rare reproduction of the Coca Cola umbrella girls in a rustic red frame

Vintage Bjorn Wiinblad Tivoli Gardens Poster Copenhagen, Denmark, 1981

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 5

"At the Service of Mankind" Vintage Wwi Red Cross Poster by Lawrence Wilbur

About the Item

"At the Service of Mankind" Vintage WWI Red Cross Poster by Lawrence Wilbur, 1917 Presented is a vintage WWI Red Cross poster, dating to 1917. The poster was illustrated by Lawrence Wilbur and printed in Chicago by Edwards & Deutsch Litho. Co. The poster was created to promote the first Red Cross membership drive. Scenes of war, flooding, and smoky destruction at the bottom of the poster’s composition are balanced by a white-robed Red Cross nurse at the top. The nurse stands with her arms stretched out, above a map of the United States. The map is emblazoned with a large red cross and scenes of a doctor headed to a small town and a wounded soldier on crutches walking with his young family. At top left is the text "Annual Roll Call," printed in blue. Below the map is the text, “At the service of All Mankind,” in white. During the first World War, the American Red Cross became the country’s central relief organization. Desperate for funding and volunteers, the organization initiated its first membership drive in December 1917. To encourage membership, the American Red Cross enlisted the pro-bono services of several well-known artists and produced a series of posters for the Roll Call. With an annual fee of one dollar, the first Christmas Roll Call boosted membership significantly and raised millions for the organization. Running ads with slogans such as, “We cannot all serve in the trenches, but we can all serve at home,” Red Cross members increased from around 10,000 American citizens in 1916 to roughly 22 million adults and 11 million children, almost a third of the total US population at that time, in 1918. This level of success in a relief campaign had never been achieved in American Red Cross history, and so the Roll Calls occurred annually around Christmastime for 25 years. Painter and printmaker Lawrence Nelson Wilbur (1897-1988) was born in Whitman, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he attended night classes in Boston Normal Art School and began training as a photoengraver. He moved to California in 1921 to work in the engraving department of the "Los Angeles Times." In 1925, Wilbur relocated to New York City and was employed as a finisher by several of New York's finest engraving shops and by several of the leading magazines of the era. He enrolled in the Grand Central Art School and studied under Harvey Dunn, N.C. Wyeth, and Pruett Carter. The combination of his graphic arts skills and his serious pursuit of training in the fine arts formed the basis for his career as a talented draftsman, printmaker, and painter. Wilbur’s works have been collected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and many other institutions. He received numerous awards for his art, including the Audubon Artist's medal of honor for a self-portrait in oil in 1957. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club of New York, the Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey, and the Society of America Graphic Artists. CONDITION: In very good condition. Color lithographed poster. A little edge wear, with a minor stain along the edge at top right. Color is vibrant. Framed to the highest archival standards with acid free mats and a custom-built wooden frame.

Dimensions:
Height: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Width: 21.25 in (53.98 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Period:
1910-1919
Date of Manufacture:
1917
Condition:
Additions or alterations made to the original: Framed to the highest archival standards with acid free mats and a custom-built wooden frame. Framed by Rio Grande in Colorado Springs in April 2022. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Colorado Springs, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: P4191stDibs: LU909729143292

More From This Seller

View All

Fight with National War Bonds Vintage British WWI Poster, Circa 1917-18

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

This is a vintage British WWI Poster, urging viewers to "Fight with National War Bonds." The poster features a woman in classical robes, hosting a British flag in an outstretched hand, with an impassioned and urgent look on her face. The poster was printed in England by Hill, Siffkin, & Co, circa 1917-1918. During WWII, England relied heavily on the willingness of its citizens to lend money...

Category

Vintage 1910s Posters

Materials

Paper

Fight with National War Bonds Vintage British WWI Poster, Circa 1917-18

$1,720 Sale Price

20% Off

U.S. Navy WWI Poster "We Clear the Way for Your Fighting Dollars, " 1918

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

This WWI poster features a US sailor after disembarking from a ship and ready for battle. In the background are powerful warships setting the scene. Below th...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Paper

U.S. Navy WWI Poster "We Clear the Way for Your Fighting Dollars, " 1918

$2,750

"More Ships- Come on! War Savings are Warships..." Vintage WWII British Poster

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a vintage WWII British War Savings Poster. This colorful blue and yellow poster features a British bulldog wearing an HMS Victory sailor cap. S...

Category

Vintage 1940s Posters

Materials

Paper

"More Ships- Come on! War Savings are Warships..." Vintage WWII British Poster

$1,200

"Buy Your Extra 6th War Loan Bonds Here" Vintage WWII Poster, 1944

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

This is an original World War II poster, dating to 1944. The poster reads "Buy Your Extra 6th War Loan Bonds Here" in bold red, white, and blue letters. The poster's composition feat...

Category

Vintage 1940s Posters

Materials

Paper

"Buy Your Extra 6th War Loan Bonds Here" Vintage WWII Poster, 1944

$2,720 Sale Price

20% Off

"Join the Air Service" Vintage WWI Poster by J. Paul Verrees, 1917

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

This is very scarce WWI recruiting poster for the Army Air Service. The poster dramatically features a two-man open cockpit biplane with American and French markings flying against a red sky background. In the foreground, two uniformed spotters look on. The poster reads "Join the Air Service...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Posters

Materials

Paper

"Join the Air Service" Vintage WWI Poster by J. Paul Verrees, 1917

$5,500

"Men Wanted For the Army" Vintage WWI Recruitment Poster

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a vintage U.S. Army recruitment poster, dating to World War I. The poster depicts an Army officer conferring with a soldier. They stand next to an artillery battery, manned by two soldiers. Their fort looks over a cliff, with water and clouds completing the background. The text "Men Wanted for the Army" is printed in bold red letters at the top of the poster. The bottom margin of the poster includes a cartouche where the name of the recruiting station can be filled in. The color lithograph was illustrated by Michael P...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Posters

Materials

Paper

"Men Wanted For the Army" Vintage WWI Recruitment Poster

$1,850

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Posters

Materials

Paper

1967 Hopetown International Moto Cross Poster by Earl Newman

$900

Rare Large Vintage Laurel & Hardy Poster, "The Dancing Masters"

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A rare version of the original theatrical release poster for the black and white 1943 movie by 20th century fox. The frame obscures a name lower right. This one is the same image as...

Category

Vintage 1940s Hollywood Regency Posters

Materials

Paper

Rare Large Vintage Laurel & Hardy Poster, "The Dancing Masters"

$3,450

Vintage School Chart, a German Poster Depicting the Human Flea, Early 1900's

Located in Langweer, NL

This school chart has been made by Dr. Schlüter & Dr. Mass. The German title of this poster is "Der Menschenfloh" Von Prof. Dr. A. Hase. Verlag von Paul Parey in Berlin. Early 1900's...

Category

Early 20th Century European Posters

Materials

Linen

Vintage School Chart, a German Poster Depicting the Human Flea, Early 1900's

$329 Sale Price

20% Off

Vintage Original Alakh Niranjan Bollywood Movie Poster

Located in Pasadena, CA

Filmmaking is a reflection of the culture it arises from, and Bollywood cinema has been forever intertwined with the Indian identity. The posters from the 1970s, especially the 1975 Alakh Niranjan, resonate with a formative period in the evolution of Bollywood, where the socio-political landscape was continuously shaping the narratives portrayed on screen. The film industry began to explore more complex character representations, especially those of women by integrating them as central figures. During this period, Bollywood began to solidify its role as a cultural touchstone that mirrored the aspirations and anxieties of Indian society. The presence of the panther that the actress holds on a leash is not only a stylistic choice; it reflects themes of power, dominance, and the connection between nature and human emotion, frequently explored in the films of that era. In Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma today), Alakh Niranjan is a term commonly used to refer to the Creator. It is also referenced to describe the qualities of both God and the Self, known as the Atman. The word Alakh translates to “that which cannot be perceived or seen,” while Niranjan means “free from blemishes or impurities.” Similar to Ghanaian horror posters that reflect the unique cultural fears and narratives of their society, Bollywood posters...

Category

Vintage 1970s Indian Modern Posters

Materials

Paper

Vintage Original Alakh Niranjan Bollywood Movie Poster

$650

Vintage Airline Poster of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, ca.1960

Located in Langweer, NL

Vintage poster of New Zealand / Go There by NAC. Wellington: R.E. Owen, ca. 1960s. Photographic lithograph of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Posters

Materials

Paper

Vintage Airline Poster of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, ca.1960

$1,200 Sale Price

20% Off

Art Deco Framed Cyprus Tourist Poster by Baynard Press of England

By Baynard Press, London

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

This poster was made by the Baynard Press of London, England in approximately 1920 and issued by the Government of Cyprus to promote travel to Cyprus in the period Art Deco style. Th...

Category