“Share, Jewish Relief Campaign.” Large allegorical figure of America offering her bounty to a destitute Jewish family. Skyline of New York City including the Statue of Liberty in the background beneath an optimistic orange and yellow sky.

Auction 90 | Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 at 1:00pm
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Arts

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Lot 38
(WORLD WAR I).

“Share, Jewish Relief Campaign.” Large allegorical figure of America offering her bounty to a destitute Jewish family. Skyline of New York City including the Statue of Liberty in the background beneath an optimistic orange and yellow sky.

Lithographed poster. Designed by Alfred F. Burke (1893-1936). 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76.2 cm). Linen-backed.

Brooklyn, NY, Sackett & Wilhelms Corporation, c. 1915:

Est: $3,000 - $4,000
One of the most iconic images ever created by an American Jewish organization. Issued to publicize The Jewish Relief Campaign that had been established to provide aid for Jewish communities in Europe and Palestine devastated by World War I. An allegorical figure of America offering her bounty, a tray laden with bread and fruits, to four desperate Jewish refugees dressed in tatters. In the background, the New York skyline, a symbol of the prosperous and secure New World, beneath an optimistic orange and yellow sky. As one of the finest, and rarest, of the World War I Judaic posters, "the relationship between the few words of strong text and the vivid, compelling imagery …[and] the economy of both text and image creates a succinct and lasting message." See Judah Magnes Museum Catalogue, Witnesses to History: The Jewish Poster (1989) p. 34-5 (and cover).