James Montgomery Flagg (1877 to 1960) used his own reflection as the model for Uncle Sam, adding a goatee and white hair to turn a self-portrait into a national figure.
The image began as the cover of Leslie’s Weekly dated 6 July 1916, before its adaptation for the United States Army in 1917. Once the United States entered the First World War, the War Department adopted it for recruitment. Over four million copies were printed before the armistice, and the image was used again in the Second World War. Flagg drew on Alfred Leete's 1914 Lord Kitchener recruitment poster, which also has a figure pointing directly at the viewer.
The design is held in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Library of Congress.
On the poster
Uncle Sam faces the viewer from a cream ground, right arm extended, forefinger pointing out of the picture. "I WANT YOU" runs in bold navy capitals above his head, underlined with a red rule. Below the portrait, red block lettering reads "for the U.S. ARMY" and "ENLIST NOW". There is no background detail.
About this print
A digitally restored reproduction, printed on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art paper with pigment inks.
