The Spirit of '18: The World Cry Food. Keep the Home Garden Going
Three men of different ages, an elderly white-haired man, a younger man with a sheaf of wheat and a boy in overalls with a crate of vegetables, stride across a field under a blue sky. The headline word FOOD dominates the lower half over the line 'Keep the Home Garden going' and the Food Administration seal. The tell is the 'Spirit of '18' label, which links home gardening to a national tradition through a generational line of ordinary farmers.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1918
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- U.S. Food Administration; William McKee (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, Economy and finance
- 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-129.
Text on the object
The Spirit of '18 The World Cry Food Keep the Home Garden going [seal] UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION Wm McKee Forbes Boston
'Wm McKee' is the artist's signature; the Forbes mark is the printer's imprint. The shield-and-wheat roundel is the Food Administration seal.
