On Deck with the United States Navy
Photo-montage sheet titled 'On Deck with the United States Navy': a central circular photograph of sailors in dress whites standing inspection on a ship's deck, ringed by eight captioned photographs of deck life, a Sunday service, seamanship and a passing junk. The technique is faint here; the sheet shows a selected, favourable set of scenes from navy life.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1940
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Navy
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Theme
- War and the military
- 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. Navy. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-73 (NAID 513534).
Text on the object
ON DECK with the UNITED STATES NAVY [caption:] The spacious deck of a battleship provides ample room for witnessing boxing and wrestling bouts. [caption:] "MANNING THE RAIL" - an honor extended to the President of a Republic or to the Ruler, or Member of the Royal Family, of a sovereign State. [caption:] On board U.S.S. PENNSYLVANIA (a battleship), native Hawaiians entertain the crew. [caption:] OBSERVING THE SABBATH - Every Sunday, with the sky as a canopy and colored flags for stained windows, the Chaplain conducts Divine Service. [caption:] The Captain's routine weekly inspection of personnel on board the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. SARATOGA. [caption:] During tactical exercises men are grouped on deck for an unobstructed view of the Fleet as it plows through long Pacific swells. [caption:] "Handycraft" - A decorative canvas trimming of more than five thousand clove hitches being made for one of the ship's fast motor boats. [caption:] SEAMANSHIP - A seasoned petty officer instructs members of his force in knot-tying, demonstrating the use of the various knots. [caption:] In far off China, men pause to observe a passing junk as it heads out to sea. [imprint: NRB-27793-7-2-40-9500. #425]
