There are many points of comparison which can be made between the images “The Uncle Sam Range” by Schumacher & Ettlinger, and “Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?” by Savile Lumley. Both images are centralised around the power of persuasion, with each image using persuasion for a different purpose. The first image of The Uncle Sam Range is an advertisement for an American range cooker, which is not only trying to pitch the product to potential buyers but also focuses on a certain lifestyle, whereas the second image is a poster aimed at persuading British men to join the forces in First World War.
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| Image 1 "The Uncle Sam Range" - Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York, 1876 |
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| Image 2 Poster by Savile Lumley - 1915 |
The style in which image 1 has been created reflects the current events and lifestyle of the time in which it comes from. The hand drawn illustration style, with bold colours and small, subtle references to what was happening in America at the time reflect the feeling of patriotism felt by most American citizens during this period. The image is used to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and there are many references to this throughout the image, such as the images of the clock with the dates, the names on the children’s clothing and the reference to the Philadelphia Exposition which took place that year. All of these subtle nuances point to the idea of America becoming a “super power”, a relatively young country full of new ideas and inventions. By combining this idea with the addition of the man in a globe costume sat at the table and the bizarre list of foods and countries he has is the artist’s way of saying that America is leading the way industrially; a rather patriotic and ignorant approach to the idea. Image 2 also shows examples of this kind of patriotism. The use of imagery in this poster is much more indistinct than in image 1, where in image 1 direct connections were made to the patriotic attitude of the time, here they have been muted and are rather less obvious, such as the English roses on the curtains and the Fleur de Lis symbol on the armchair. The colours in this image are toned down to show the severity of the subject, as the artist portraying the need for middle class men to sign up to the services. The image has been set as if it were in the future, and contains a great deal of reflection on the time, and aspiration as a means of persuasion.
The use of type in each image reflects the message they contain. Image 1 uses bold, bright, gold type which can be associated with the being the “All American” style, whereas image 2 is much more personal. The handwritten style of font adds a more relaxed feel to the message and along with a few other aspects, such as the absence of a mother figure in the picture, moves the image to being patriarchal.
In general, there are many different points of comparison and similarity between these two images. In particular, the fact that they were created and used only 4 decades apart, and originate from two very different nations, they display similar themes and ideas of patriotism although each with a distinct style reflective of the time in which they were created.
