James Taylor - Your Country Needs You: The Secret History of the Propaganda Poster

Alfred Leete (Woodspring Museum)

O N A SMALL HILL in the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare is the striking Art Deco grave of the British-born artist, cartoonist and illustrator Alfred Leete (28th August 1882 17th June 1933), the man who created what is now widely regarded to be one of the worlds most familiar and popular poster designs. It is generally known, although mistakenly so, by the title Y OUR C OUNTRY N EEDS YOU and depicts the steely stare, outstretched arm and accusing pointing finger of Lord Kitchener, exhorting the viewer to enlist and do their bit for their country.

Kitchener played a crucial role during World War I as Secretary of State for War; and traditionally it is believed that through the combination of Leetes forceful and eye-catching image and Kitcheners military prowess and popularity this poster design was instrumental in raising the armies of millions of men for frontline duty until conscription was introduced in 1916.

Today, Leetes K ITCHENER design can be found emblazoned on aprons, bookmarks, fridge magnets, mouse mats, mugs, notebooks , oven gloves, postcards, posters, towels and T-shirts. However, an in-depth examination of the evidence relating to the creation of this poster, its printing, posting and popularity during the war reveals alternative and surprising stories.

At the outset of World War I, the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee (PRC) was established in order to enlist men for the fighting services. Headquartered in London, the PRC was able to employ a variety of means to achieve this goal, including the production and distribution of posters. Leetes design, however, was not formally part of that official organisation. It was printed privately. The poster was actually only one of more than two hundred official and private recruitment posters produced during the war, with the PRC producing the lions share: some 164 designs.

There are two main reasons why Leetes poster could not have been officially produced. Dr Nicholas Hiley, Head of the British Cartoon Archive at the Templeman Library, University of Kent, has succinctly outlined them: Not only did it first appear in September 1914 when the PRC was still committed to letterpress posters, but it also employed a personal appeal that ran counter to the official tradition of recruiting in the name of the King.

Alfred Leetes original K ITCHENER artwork for the so-called Y OUR C OUNTRY N EEDS YOU ).

The IWM was established by the War Cabinet on 5th March 1917 and its first home was at the Crystal Palace. The museum was opened by King George V on 9th June 1920 when the first Chairman, Sir Alfred Mond, British MP, financier, industrialist and founder of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), addressed the King saying that it was hoped to make the museum so complete that everyone who took part in the war, however obscurely, would find therein an example or illustration of the sacrifice he or she made and that the museum was not a monument of military glory, but a record of toil and sacrifice. However, there is no evidence to confirm that Leetes famous Kitchener drawing was on display in the museum at this time.