c.1940 Learn While You Serve Join The U.S. Coast Guard John Floherty WWII Era

Date: c.1940
Artist: Floherty Jr., John J.
Size (in): 42” x 28”
Size (cm): 106.7 x 71.1
Condition: A-
Linen backed: No

This vintage original and rare United States Coast Guard recruiting poster was created by the artist John J. Floherty Jr. and we believe issued in 1940. Floherty renders an image a strapping young man in Coast Guard uniform flashing a confident file with a bookcase full of textbooks behind him and text that reads:

LEARN While You SERVE! 17? Join The U.S. Coast Guard

This poster reminds us the U.S. Coast Guard was a great place to learn important job skills that could benefit recruits in later civilian life and that one only needed to be 17 years old to enlist. The artist John J. Floherty, Jr. produced a number of posters for the U.S. Coast Guard and also served as a combat artist at the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Before and after the war, Floherty worked as a commercial artist and illustrator and even created some movie posters for Hollywood.

This vintage original poster was never used and has no tape or pinholes and just modest toning from age and light handling wear including edges slightly bumped in spots. Overall condition is very good.  This is a rare poster as we trace none at auction and Worldcat only locates a single copy at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago.