"I have but one skin to give to my country"... make the most of it!
A drawn calf's head sits above a leather-conservation message: handle leather carefully, cut it economically and do not waste it. The sheet borrows a famous patriotic line for the calf, and a tanner's name and product list appear at the foot. The headline reads "I have but one skin to give to my country"... make the most of it!
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- American Hide and Leather Company, Boston
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
American Hide and Leather Company, Boston. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1036 (NAID 514562).
Text on the object
"I have but one skin to give to my country"... ..make the most of it ! Conservation of Leather is a very important part of the war program - Handle it carefully - Cut it economically - - Do not waste it ! AMERICAN HIDE AND LEATHER COMPANY BOSTON, MASS. Tanners of ROSEBAY WILLOW CALF — WHITE PRINCESS CALF — WILLOW CALF — OOZE SUEDE — ROYAL BLACK CALF EMPIRE SIDES AND KIPS — BLACK PRINCESS CALF — AMERIGRAIN ELK — CADET PATENT — ROYAL SIDES — SPORT WILLOW CALF — POCKETBOOK WILLOW CALF — WHITE BUCK
