1918 Girl Reserves of the Y.W.C.A. by Edward Poucher Basketball YMCA WWI

Date: 1918
Artist: Poucher, Edward   
Size (in): 28.5” x 21.5”
Size (cm): 72.4 x 54.6
Condition: B+
Linen backed: Yes 

This rare WWI era poster was created by the artist Edward Poucher to help recruit girls for the Girl Reserves, a program of the Young Women’s Christian Association.    Poucher renders an image of a young lady in gym uniform shooting a basketball with text that reads: 

The Girl Reserves of the Y.M.C.A. Help us put the Blue Triangle over the top!  

Edward Poucher was a prolific illustrator who worked mostly in fashion illustration and created covers for several women’s magazines including Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ Home Journal, Woman’s Home Companion and others.   In spite of his large body of work, not much is known about Poucher today.    The Girl Reserves program of the YMCA achieved enormous popularity during the WWI era recruiting girls between the ages of 12 and 18 to help with the war effort while also offering opportunities for personal and social development and educational opportunities.   Some people have suggested that this poster issued in 1918 is probably the earliest poster to feature the sport of basketball.   

The lower righthand corner of the poster has the logo of the Committee For Public Information, a government agency established by the Woodrow Wilson administration during WWI to influence public opinion in support of the war effort.   The lower right corner indicates this poster was printed by the United States Printing & Litho. Company of New York.

This vintage original poster has been professionally linen backed with some expert touch up as needed including repairs to a couple short tears on the edges and small bit of replaced loss in the margin along the top edge not affecting the image area.   The colors remain strong.  The poster displays beautifully and overall condition is very good.