Stay on-the-job. Help end-the-war
Yellow cartoon safety sheet in four panels: 'Gertie' is flung head-over-heels dancing and 'Bertie' falls on the ice past a DANGER sign, then both lie in hospital beds in casts. The tell is a comic fear-appeal, accident and injury as the price of time off the job, with 'Uncle Sam' named as the party let down.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Navy Department Safety Poster (artist Chuck Thorndike)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Labor, Health
- 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 Department. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1802 (NAID 515481).
Text on the object
STAY ON-THE-JOB OFF-THE-JOB GERTIE WOULD RATHER TAKE IT ON THE LAM' FOR A DATE AT A HOT SPOT THAN WORK FOR UNCLE SAM! OFF-THE-JOB BERTIE IS OFTEN PLENTY SORE FROM WEEK-END SPILLS ON THE ICE BUT IT DOESN'T WIN THE WAR! DANGER THE SPOT [signature: CHUCK THORNDIKE] NAVY DEPARTMENT SAFETY POSTER YES, GERTIE AND BERTIE ARE PLEASURE BENT UNTIL THEY HAVE AN ACCIDENT! HELP END-THE-WAR [imprint: N651 440106]
