Blood or Bread
A bare-chested, helmeted figure carries a limp wounded or dead soldier against a dark sky, above the headline 'Blood or Bread.' The text sets blood given by others against food saved at home, so that eating less is framed as shortening the war and saving life.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1918
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- U.S. Food Administration
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Wilson Administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military
- Event
- World War I
- Regime
- Wilson administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 4 (U.S. Food Administration), World War I Posters (NAID 512439), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- NARA Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
U.S. Food Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-128.
Text on the object
BLOOD or BREAD Others are giving their blood You will shorten the war- save life if you eat only what you need, and waste nothing. UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION No 16
The 'No 16' mark appears at lower left; the signature at lower right is [illegible].
