c.1942 Leave Books Here Victory Book Campaign ALA Charles Buckles Falls WWII

Date: c.1942
Artist: Falls, Charles Buckles
Size (in): 21.5” x 13.75”
Size (cm): 54.6 x 35
Condition: B+
Linen backed: No 

This rare poster was created by the artist Charles Buckles Falls for the WWII era Victory Book Campaign.  The Victory Book Campaign began in February 1942 as a joint initiative of the American Library Association, the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organization for National Defense, Inc. which collected and distributed over 10 million books to American service members during the war.  This poster has text that reads “Leave Books Here” so was presumably designed for use at one of the many Victory Book Campaign collection sites.       

Charles Buckles Falls created many posters, including wartime book drive posters, in support of the American war effort during WWI but this poster here is one of the very few he created during WWII.  Buckles Falls’s 1918 “Books Wanted” poster showing an American doughboy carrying a large stack of books is one of the most recognized WWI book drive posters.  Buckles Falls was a member of the prolific New York City based Decorative Designers firm that worked primarily designing book covers, dust jackets and book illustrations so much of his artistic output was book related. 

This vintage original poster shows moderate handling wear, some toning from age and a single small pinhole tear on each of the upper corners. Basic linen backing (which we can arrange for an additional cost) would get this poster looking almost like new.  Overall condition is very good for this WWII era Victory Book Campaign poster.