War is Good Business, Invest in Your Son

The poster was produced by Lambert Studios Inc. The religious iconography of a pieta, of Mary cradling Jesus after his crucifixion, with a dark blue background and bold red type that reads, “War is Good Business, Invest in Your Son,” creates a poignant message. The text itself is a famous quote from Allen Ginsburg that reveals how war profits the rich and powerful at the cost of young lives. 

What this phrase says is juxtaposed against the image of Mary and Jesus, a mother holding the body of her dead son after he sacrificed himself. This paralleled what countless mothers in America experienced throughout the different conflicts and wars that occurred in the 1900s. 

This poster was intended to be an anti-war design against the Vietnam War in 1969, a strong contrast to the designs of the first and second world wars that attempted to empower its non-fighting citizens, such as women and children. 

However, in both of these eras of war posters the symbol of the woman, the mother, is used to garner sympathy or evoke emotion. She is used as a visual tool and the history of war design should lead one to consider how gendered roles have influenced perceptions of women's roles in times of conflict.

Contextual information referenced from the Whitney Museum of American Art and manandwar.com