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Although they were not valid for postage, poster stamps could be affixed to letters and envelopes as a means for fundraising, propaganda, and educational purposes. Poster stamps were collectable stamps, slightly larger than postage stamps, with designs similar to posters. After America entered the war in December 1941, the campaign was officially made a part of the government’s efforts.Īnti-communist poster stamp with an eagleĪnti-communism poster stamp distributed in the United States.
#NON EPHEMERAL PORT POSTER CODE#
The campaign caught on in the still neutral United States, and in the late summer of 1941, ephemera began appearing with “V for Victory” and the Morse code “V” printed on them. It was so popular, Winston Churchill began flashing the V sign with his index and middle finger in public. Britton) further encouraged the V as an act of resistance, and used Beethoven’s symphony as the theme song for his program. Ritchie (broadcasting under the name, Colonel V. ) were coincidentally the first three notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Later, it was observed that the Morse code for “V,” three dots and a dash (. The idea caught on and spread to the Netherlands, northern France, and England.
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He then called on his listeners to write the V everywhere as an act of resistance against the occupiers. He proposed the idea to his audience because “V” is the first letter of the French and English words for “victory” (victoire and victory), as well as the Flemish and Dutch word for “freedom” (vrijeid). In early 1941, the “V for Victory” campaign was conceived by Victor de Laveleye, who broadcast for the BBC in German-occupied Belgium. “V for Victory” campaign poster stamp distributed in the United States during World War II.
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Such patriotic home front activities were seen as valuable contributions to the war effort that helped push America and its allies to victory.Īmerican WWII poster stamp promoting the V for Victory campaign American’s sense of patriotic duty motivated many to grow Victory Gardens, ration goods, take on new wartime jobs, and increase industrial production. This patriotism was spurred on by ephemeral objects such as posters, stickers, pins, and poster stamps that were adorned with national symbols and decorated with red, white, and blue. America saw a surge of patriotic sentiment and nationalistic pride after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into World War II, in December 1941.
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#NON EPHEMERAL PORT POSTER MANUALS#
Recruiting brochures publications manuals and guides postcards ephemeral materials posters and video recordings dating from World War I to the current day, purchased by University Archives and Manuscripts on a continuing basis to supplement and complement the individual veterans collections in the Women Veterans Historical Project.Patriotic poster stamp featuring a red-white-and-blue color scheme, distributed in the United States during the nation’s participation in World War II. Only a part of this collection has been digitized. Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries (Repository)
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