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Old Glory:
July 1942 Magazine Covers
June 11—December 11, 2005
In July 1942, to mark the first Independence Day following the United States' entry into World War II, some 500 magazines featured the American flag on their covers. Magazines of all types participated—Life, Vogue, Popular Mechanics, Astounding Science Fiction and Modern Beauty Shop, to name a few. More than 30 examples of this display of patriotism, solidarity, and support for the war are presented in "Old Glory: July 1942 Magazine Covers," an exhibition at the National Heritage Museum from June 11 through December 11, 2005. Most of the covers are drawn from a local collection owned by Libbie Payne.
The magazine covers presented that July reflected a reality for all Americans-that for the past seven months, and for a long time to come, a far-away war would affect all aspects of daily life at home. These covers spoke to the ideals Americans sought to defend as well as the sacrifices, large and small, that citizens made to support the war effort.
The flag magazine cover campaign was the brainchild of Paul McNamara, a promotion manager and editor for Hearst Publications. The guidelines were simple: The flag had to fly from left to right, could not have type printed over it, and the cover should incorporate the slogan "United We Stand." The National Publishers Association backed the initiative, eager to show the important role magazines played in keeping the public informed and in bolstering morale on the home front. The Treasury Department, responsible for raising funds to finance the war effort, joined in. The agency requested that the covers bear the message "Buy War Bonds and Stamps." In return, it arranged for stores across the country to display and sell the magazines.
The 33 covers seen here resulted from this collaboration between business interests and a government agency. During a frightening and uncertain time, both commerce and government sought to promote national unity and raise the spirits of the American people.
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