"'Sub Spotted- Let 'Em Have It!' Lend A Hand- Enlist in your Navy today" Vintage WWII Recruitment Poster by McClelland Barclay, 1942

Presented in an original WWII Naval recruitment sign by McClelland Barclay. The small sign was issued on August 14, 1942 and printed on cardboard, for display in shops or community centers. The poster depicts an American sailor steadying a container of TNT that dangles from a winch. In the background, two sailors are hauling the winch ropes and a charge that has been launched sails through the air towards the choppy waters. In scripted and bold fonts, the poster text reads "'Sub Spotted- Let 'Em Have It!’" Below, the poster urges men to "Lend A Hand- Enlist in your Navy today" in white font. 

McClelland Barclay was already a successful painter, illustrator, sculptor, and jewelry maker before he became a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve in 1938. Throughout his accomplished career, he not only designed recruitment posters but also illustrated magazine covers such as Cosmopolitan and Saturday Evening Post. On July 18, 1943, less than a year after this sign was published, Barclay perished after a Japanese Submarine torpedoed the naval ship he was aboard. Posthumously, in 1944, Barclay was awarded the Art Directors Club Medal, "in recognition of his long and distinguished record in editorial illustration and advertising art and in honor of his devotion and meritorious service to his country as a commissioned officer of the United States Navy."

CONDITION:

Color lithograph, printed on cardboard. Colors are vibrant. White margins. Corners are creased, with separation of cardboard along the bottom right corner. "NRB--33025--8-14-42--65M" is printed at bottom center. Sold unframed, as-is.  Unframed Dimensions: 20"H x 14" W (sheet size).