Fighting Men Need Nurses: Sign Up at the Red Cross Recruiting Station by Jon Whitcomb

The “Fighting Men Need Nurses: Sign Up at the Red Cross Recruiting Station” poster, created by artist Jon Whitcomb, serves as a powerful World War II propaganda piece. The image depicts a nurse tending to a wounded soldier on a battlefield, emphasizing the critical role of nurses during wartime. The Red Cross emblem on the nurse’s uniform symbolizes humanitarian aid and compassion. The poster’s clear message urges women to join the nursing profession and support the war effort by signing up at Red Cross recruiting stations. Whitcomb’s talent lies in capturing the sacrifice, dedication, and resilience of nurses, making them essential contributors to the home front during World War II. Jon Whitcomb, born in 1906 in Weatherford, Oklahoma, defied his humble beginnings to become a renowned American illustrator. His parents, both artists and art teachers, fostered a creative environment, and Whitcomb began drawing long before formal schooling. Initially an English major in college, he occasionally contributed drawings and cartoons to school magazines. His career took an unexpected turn when he played a rhumba during a church service. Whitcomb’s first paying art job involved painting movie and vaudeville posters for the Palace Theater in Cleveland. Later, he joined a commercial art firm, where he honed his skills by learning from accomplished artists. His work improved, and he transitioned to the firm’s New York office, expanding into advertising and illustration for national magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Cosmopolitan. During World War II, Whitcomb served in the Navy, creating recruiting posters that portrayed women in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) as glamorous “Whitcomb girls.” His career continued to thrive, focusing on pretty young city women and reducing backgrounds to simple design elements. His articles and sketches about Hollywood stars for Cosmopolitan, titled “On Location with Jon Whitcomb,” further solidified his reputation. Looking back, Whitcomb attributed his success to understanding what people enjoyed looking at and delivering precisely that in his illustrations.