Museums and Exhibitions
Answer the Call: First World War Posters Mairéad Quinn
Venue: ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB Admission: Free Opened: 23 May 2014 Website: http://www.nmni.com
On the 23 May 2014 National Museums Northern Ireland launched their ‘Answer the Call: First World War Posters’ exhibition in the ulster Museum, Belfast. This exhibition is part of the Decade of Centenaries programme of events and was developed to mark the 100th anniversary of World War One. The exhibition, curated by Dr Vivienne Pollock, takes a look at the changing conditions of Britain and Ireland’s involvement in the war, and more particularly the changing approaches to voluntary recruitment, through a series of propaganda posters aimed at Irish citizens over the period of 1914-1918. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the changing attitudes towards enlistment by Irish citizens. This can be traced through the evolving messages portrayed in the poster campaigns, beginning with the characterisation of voluntary enlistment as
encompassing the virtues of patriotism and adventure; the natural step for a man to take. The exhibition also explores the various uses of cultural signifiers to encourage men to enlist. These include posters identifying war with sporting games, and the call for the ‘real Irish spirit’ to come forth and join the ranks, a direct reference to Ireland’s reputation as a drinking culture. As voluntary recruitment took a downturn we can see a change in the campaigns’ approach. Messages changed from those focused on the virtues of enlistment to those forewarning of the consequences of failing to enlist. The use of children as emotional triggers can be seen in various posters, most particularly those asking fathers what their answer will be when their children ask ‘what did you do to help when Britain fought for freedom?’ Children and women are also used as emotional leverage through poster campaigns that
Museums and Exhibitions
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