?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 600 - $ 900
JAMES H. DAUGHERTY THE SHIPS ARE COMING. 30x20 inches. (76 x 51 cm.) Forbes, Boston. Condition A-: tears along right edge; minor tears in margins. Paper. An aggressive image of an Eagle soaring over a veritable armada of ships steaming off towards Europe. On September 7, 1916, the United States Shipping Board was formed. With Europe embroiled in the war, its charter was to build up America's merchant marine. Nine days later, and under the control of the Shipping Board, the Emergency Fleet Corporation was established to build the ships. "When the United States declared war against Germany the whole purpose and policy of the Shipping Board and the Fleet Corporation suffered a radical change overnight. From a body established to restore the American Merchant Marine to its old glory, the Shipping Board was transformed into a military agency to bridge the ocean with ships and to maintain the line of communication between America and Europe" (http://www.gwpda.org/www-wwi/Hurley/bridge2.htm). Their stated aim was to launch 100 ships a day! Like so many American production undertakings during the war, this goal reflected not only the country's massive ego, but her unparalleled manufacturing capability. As work in shipyards around the country was already fully under way, these posters would have served to spur the workers on to even greater achievements and instill justifiable pride in their accomplishments. The energy expended on the ship building program is well reflected in the strength of the image. One of two variations, the other is the same image in a larger format bearing the text "Send the Eagle's Answer / More Ships." Rawls p. 77, Theofiles 255, Paret 116.
