Vintage Poster Archives
Sem Pour la Liberté du Monde 1917 | French WWI Poster
Sem Pour la Liberté du Monde 1917 | French WWI Poster
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The Statue of Liberty rises from the Atlantic Ocean against a golden sunset sky, her torch held high above the waves. Georges Goursat, known as Sem, composed this war bond poster in 1917 for the Banque Nationale de Crédit as France sought to fund its final push in the Great War.
Commissioned during the pivotal year when America entered the conflict, the poster places the French viewer on familiar shores, gazing across the Atlantic toward the symbol of liberty both nations held dear. Sem's composition transforms the Statue of Liberty into a beacon of hope rising from the ocean itself, no longer confined to New York Harbor but standing as a universal symbol of freedom.
The poster's French text, 'Pour la Liberté du Monde, Souscrivez à l'Emprunt National,' translates as 'For the Liberty of the World, Subscribe to the National Loan.' This direct appeal worked alongside the visual metaphor to encourage French citizens to invest in victory through government bonds.
Georges Goursat (1863-1934) worked under the artistic name Sem, creating caricatures and posters that depicted French society during its most turbulent periods. This archival print preserves the bold sunset palette and clear typography that made his wartime work so persuasive.
