1943 The Farm Is A Battlefield, Too! John Steuart Curry Abbott Laboratories WWII

Date: 1943
Artist: Curry, John Steuart      
Size (in): 12” x 9”
Size (cm): 30.5 x 23
Condition: A-
Linen backed: No

Abbott Laboratories commissioned a great deal of propaganda themed artwork during WWII and made a lot of it available to the Federal government for reproduction on posters and for use in other ways.  This particular piece, commissioned by Abbott Laboratories from the well known WPA associated American Regionalist painter John Steuart Curry, is one such example. Some of the WWII era propaganda themed artwork commissioned by Abbott Laboratories was used by the company for advertising posters, brochures, magazine covers and inserts that appeared in selected medical journals.  

In 1943 Abbott Laboratories issued a portfolio of the company’s WWII themed commissioned artwork titled “All-In” which included actual tipped-in samples of mini posters, brochures and advertising inserts.  This All-In portfolio is extremely rare and was probably only available for use as a sales aid by the company’s salespeople.

This advertising insert is folded to a four page pamphlet format measuring 12” x 9” per page.  The front cover features Curry’s design for The Farm Is A Battleground, Too! which was never issued in a poster format.  The original painting is held by the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa.  The inside pages feature an advertisement for the syphilis drug Bismarsen with artwork by Lois Head.  The back cover page is blank. This artwork was also used for the cover of Abbott Laboratories promotional magazine "What's New" July 1942 issue.  

The blank last page has a few small areas of contact surface loss to paper (which don’t show on the front or two inside pages) from having been tipped into the Abbott Laboratories “All-In” WWII artwork portfolio.  Overall condition is otherwise near mint for this very rare vintage original.