LESLIE RAGAN (1897-1972) WE SHALL NOT FAIL / NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM. 1943.
40 3/4x26 3/4 inches, 104x68 cm. Brett Lithographing Company, [New York.]
Condition B: replaced losses, repaired tears, overpainting and discoloration in margins; creases, abrasions, scratches and restoration in image.
A rare patriotic crossover poster produced during World War II by the New York Central Line to indicate their commitment to the war effort. Leslie Ragan, best known for his straightforward, graphic depictions of trains and prominent destinations along the New York Central Line system, takes his art one step further here and adds a patriotic element. It is a powerful, proud and evocative image of a New York Central Line Mohawk locomotive coursing through the night (working around the clock) beneath the eternal vigilance of the Statue of Liberty. The connection between the symbol of America's Liberty and the powerful representation of America's physical and technological power is enhanced by the engine's headlamp and the Statue's torch, each cutting through the darkness. Zega p. 126.