Less Dangerous Than Careless Talk
Security-of-information poster: a coiled rattlesnake with open mouth, bloodied fangs and a pool of blood beneath it, under the headline 'Less dangerous than careless talk'. The snake is set against careless speech as the greater danger, a fear-appeal aimed at civilians, with a list of subjects not to discuss in small print.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Office of War Information (distributed for the issuing agencies; artist: Albert Dorne)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Security and surveillance
- 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)
U.S. government home-front campaign. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-103 (NAID 513556).
Text on the object
LESS DANGEROUS THAN CARELESS TALK DON'T DISCUSS TROOP MOVEMENTS · SHIP SAILINGS · WAR EQUIPMENT [signature:] ALBERT DORNE [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944-O-803532 [imprint:] DISTRIBUTED FOR THE ISSUING AGENCIES BY O.W.I.
