Fire Slogan Contest, 6th Week's Winner: Oily rags, a heap o' trash
Fire-safety contest poster in a stylised red, black and blue print: a man sits at a typewriter, holding a sheet that carries a winning slogan signed Geo. L. Hunt, Patrolman, with 'Carelessness causes fires' below. The slogan reads 'Oily rags... a heap o' trash, A lighted butt... a pile of ash!' The tell is testimonial: a named winner's words carry the message. Fear-appeal is faint, in the ash image.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Unnamed issuer (Fire Slogan Contest poster series)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Theme
- Home front
- 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)
Unnamed issuer. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1442 (NAID 515105).
Text on the object
FIRE SLOGAN CONTEST 6th. Week's Winner Oily rags... a heap o' trash, A lighted butt... a pile of ash ! GEO. L. HUNT Patrolman CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRES
