The Empire Needs Men! The Overseas States All Answer the Call
A maned lion stands on a rock above lionesses and cubs, under the line 'The overseas states all answer the call. Helped by the young lions the old lion defies his foes.' The animals stand for Britain and the dominions as one family, and 'all answer the call' tells the home viewer that others have already joined, so 'Enlist now' is the move that completes the group.
- Date
- 1915
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- Parliamentary Recruiting Committee (United Kingdom), poster no. 58; art by Arthur Wardle, printed by Straker Brothers, London
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Asquith Government
- Leader
- Herbert Henry Asquith
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Recruit
- Event
- World War I
- Regime
- Asquith government
- Leader
- H. H. Asquith
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain in the U.S. (published 1915, before 1931)
1915. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, World War I Posters collection. LOC rights advisory: 'No known restrictions on publication.'
Text on the object
THE EMPIRE NEEDS MEN! THE OVERSEAS STATES All answer the call. Helped by the YOUNG LIONS The OLD LION defies his Foes. ENLIST NOW. [illegible - artist's signature at right of rock; small printer's imprint at foot of poster]
Poster no. 58 and the printer's name are taken from the Library of Congress catalogue record; the imprint line itself is too small to read in the committed scan.
