Food Is Ammunition - Don't Waste It.
A basket of vegetables, corn and grapes fills the foreground below a silhouetted column of mounted soldiers carrying the American flag against an orange sky. The title equates household food with military ammunition, so the soldiers' prestige is transferred to the act of not wasting food.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1917
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- U.S. Food Administration; J. E. Sheridan (artist)
- 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-49.
Text on the object
Food is Ammunition- Don't waste it. No. 5 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION HEYWOOD STRASSER & VOIGT LITHO. CO., N.Y. J. E. SHERIDAN
'J. E. Sheridan' is the artist's signature within the picture; 'No. 5' is the sheet number at lower left.
