Join Civil Defense
Designer
Designer Unknown
Date1951
Dimensions21 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (54.6 x 34.3 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.9084
DescriptionFounded in 1950 by President Harry Truman, the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) enabled the federal government to assist states and cities in the event of a national emergency (namely, if the Soviet Union were to attack the United States). Early messaging by the FCDA embraced the traditional American values of self-help and civic duty, suggesting that through them, citizens could survive a nuclear holocaust. Although the organization requested a budget of $535 million from Congress in 1951, it only received $65 million, forcing it to seek private corporate support from firms like those listed on the bottom of this poster. This led to an awkward marriage between companies and government propaganda, in which businesses promoted their services as a means of surviving a nuclear attack. This is perhaps no better exemplified than through the public service announcement co-produced by the FCDA and the National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association, advising the public that a well-painted home will not burn in an atomic blast.
On View
Not on view
