The persuasive power of 'Mother'

As the shops are full of Mother's Day marketing, we look back to 1915 and see that the persuasive powers of 'mother' were used to get men to sign up to the army.

‘Go! It’s your duty lad. Join to-day’

This poster features in Wakefield Museums new exhibition 'A call to arms: the art of persuasion - recruitment posters of World War One.'

Lithograph, June 1915.  Printed by David Allen & sons Ltd, Harrow.  Published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, no 109.

By June 1915 recruits for the army had fallen and enthusiasm for the war effort was waning.

Posters like this one tried to appeal to mothers to put aside selfish reasons and send in their boys. It received criticism for appearing too much like any other advertising campaign and humorous copies depicted the mother selling different products.

See this poster and others at Wakefield Museum, Wakefield One, Burton Street, Wakefield, WF1 2DD.  Free entry.  The exhibition runs until 26 September.