Careless Talk

Government officials felt that one of the most urgent problems on the home front was the careless leaking of sensitive information that could be picked up by spies and saboteurs hiding within American society. "Careless talk" posters warned people that small snippets of information regarding troop movements or other logistical details would be useful to the enemy. 

Victor Keppler, a well-known commercial photographer and the founder of Westport’s “Famous Photographers School,” used the shock value of the “wanted” poster style as a warning about the danger of careless talk during wartime.

This last poster was one of only a handful of unsolicited poster designs used by a government agency. Submitted by artist Wesley Heyman, the poster depicts a spaniel and a gold star--designating the loss of a loved one in military service. The design appealed to government officials for its “human-interest ‘change-of-pace’ design.” Officials estimated that it was reproduced in the millions, noting that “requests for it broke all previous records.”