"Build and Fight in the Navy Seabees" Vintage WWII Poster by John Philip Falter, 1943

This is a vintage WWII U.S. Navy Seabees recruitment poster, illustrated by John Falter. The poster was printed in July of 1943 and features a young soldier with his helmet and a M-1 slung over his shoulder, ready to serve. A construction site and crane are seen in the background. The top of the poster urges viewers to “Build and Fight in the Navy Seabees" while the bottom of the poster further stresses that construction workers are wanted and that “Men 17 and 38 to 50 by Voluntary Enlistment,” and “Men 18 to 37 by Voluntary Induction” can “Apply At Any Navy Recruitment Station.” The poster is paired with an original Seabees metal plaque, printed with the iconic flying and fighting Seabees logo. 

The Navy Construction Battalion, nicknamed the Seabees, were a military construction force that played a key role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Seabees were established in 1942 to build bases, camps, and other infrastructure like warehouses, for the U.S. military. The Seabee motto is "Construimus, Batuimus," which is Latin for "We build, We fight." Men enlisted into the Seabees were trained to build infrastructure and defend themselves against enemy attack. More than 325,000 Seabees served during World War II. They served on every major front, from Normandy to Iwo Jima. 

John Philip Falter (1910-1982) developed his artistic skills at an early age, even designing a mural for his local soda shop when still a teenager. For a few years, Falter worked as a comic strip artist on a strip entitled Down Thru the Ages, for the local Falls City Journal, in Falls City, Nebraska. He expanded his talents at the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduating, he won a scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City.

Falter’s first steady job started in 1933 with Liberty Magazine. For $75 dollars a week, he was hired to create three illustrations weekly. Increasingly aware of the lucrative nature of advertisements, the artist began seeking opportunities for such work. Some of his regular advertising clients included Gulf Oil, Four Roses Whiskey, Arrow Shirts, and Pall Mall. Falter was very busy in 1943. Following the onset of World War II, the artist enlisted in the Navy. He was promoted rapidly, while designing over 300 recruiting posters for the government. Many of them served domestic purposes and were geared toward women, like the WAVES campaign (“Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service”).

CONDITION:

Original color lithograph. Paper is clean and healthy, with only light wrinkling in paper margins. The poster’s color is still vibrant and bright. Signed by Falter in the lithographic stone, at lower left. Poster measures 42” H x 38” W. 

Original WWII Seabees metal door plaque. Plaque in very good condition. The plaque is drilled, for hanging. The plaque is 3” in diameter.

The poster and plaque is artfully framed to archival standards, with acid-free mats, UV Conservation Clear glass, and a custom-built black frame.

Framed Dimensions: 49 1/2" H x 35" W x 1 1/2" D.

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.