Vintage Poster Archives
Loose Lips Sink Ships 1942 | Seymour Goff War Poster
Loose Lips Sink Ships 1942 | Seymour Goff War Poster
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A black silhouette profile against a red background, with the warning "LOOSE LIPS" positioned above a sinking ship rendered in bold brushstrokes. The composition concludes with blue water bearing the yellow text "MIGHT SINK SHIPS."
Designed by Seymour R. Goff for the US Office of War Information in 1942, this became the most recognised careless talk warning of the American home front. The War Advertising Council commissioned the work for display in factories, shipyards, and public spaces during the height of wartime security concerns.
Goff's design distilled complex wartime anxieties about enemy espionage into immediate visual communication. The profile silhouette functions as both speaker and potential listener, while the sinking ship provides stark consequence. The poster's typography, rendered in bold sans-serif lettering, reinforced the urgency of the message.
Reproduced as an archival print from the original 1942 design. A cornerstone piece for collectors of American propaganda art and wartime graphic design.
