Original U.S. WWI Framed Red Cross Christmas Roll Call Donation Poster - 23¼ x 33¼”

Original Item:  Only One Available. The American Red Cross made a major contribution to aid the wounded during World War I. Within weeks of the outbreak of the war it dispatched The Mercy Ship, which brought surgeons, nurses, and medical supplies to Europe. When the U.S. entered the war in April of 1917, the organization began a period of remarkable growth, and by war’s end it had become a major humanitarian organization with a record of broad and distinguished service.

This striking chromolithograph features Columbia, dressed in red, white, and blue with her sword and American flag shield, writing on a mistletoe-wrapped scroll held by a World War I nurse that reads: "Where Columbia sets her name let every one of you follow her." Columbia is a longstanding personification of America, a counterpart to Uncle Sam. This poster advertises the Red Cross Christmas Roll Call from December 16th to 23rd, 1918, a fundraising campaign that asked each American to donate one dollar to support the troops in Europe during World War I. The campaign was initiated in 1917 and continued annually, driving Red Cross membership from just 17,000 people to 43 million. The artist, Edwin Blashfield, was an acclaimed painter and muralist who is perhaps best known for painting the murals on the dome of the Library of Congress Main Reading Room.

The poster is in a frame measuring 23¼ x 33¼”, and is in great condition overall. The frame is professionally done and will make for a fantastic display.

Comes ready for further research and display.