THE FOOD HISTORIAN
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact >
      • Media Requests
      • Submissions
    • In the Media
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Consulting
    • Leave a Tip
  • Projects
    • Blog
    • Book
    • Historical Supper Club
    • Newsletter
    • Food History Happy Hour
    • Book Reviews
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Food Historian Bookshop
    • Recorded Talks
    • Historic Cookbooks
    • Vintage Cookbooks
    • Bibliography
    • Food Exhibits
    • TV and Film
    • Food Historian Library
    • Printable Newsletters
    • Thesis
    • Other Publications
  • Events

Food History Blog

HISTORY, RECIPES, VINTAGE COOKBOOKS, PROPAGANDA POSTERS

World War Wednesday: Eat Less And Let Us Be Thankful

11/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Eat less, and let us be thankful that we have enough to share with those who fight for freedom" by A. Hendee ; Edwards & Deutsch Litho. Co. Chicago, 1918. Library of Congress.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, so I thought it would be apt to visit the matching pair of posters. It's not clear if they were meant to be displayed together or not, but the artist, A. Hendee, clearly recycled one beautiful image for another version. 

In both images, produce is stored in an attic. Red peppers, turnips, corn, beets, carrots, and what looks like red onions hang from the rafters. A sack of potatoes, a basket of fruit (including bananas!), cauliflower, grapes, a lone cucumber, a few nuts, and two fat pumpkins sit on the wooden floor. 

In the first image, a white placard with the United States Food Administration seal on the bottom admonishes "Eat less, and let us be thankful that we have enough to share with those who fight for freedom." Much of the propaganda around food and the First World War admonished self-restraint when it came to food. Although the phrase "eat less" has had some controversy in the modern era, in the 1910s it was far less about ideal bodyweight (although that played a role) and far more about reducing waste. As the poor wheat harvests in 1916 and 1917 did not allow for normal consumption levels AND exporting to the Allies, most of the rhetoric in 1917 and 1918 was focused on reducing waste, refocusing American eating habits on other types of food, and reducing consumption in general. For instance, while messages of "eat less" were common, so was the Gospel of the Clean Plate, which exhorted Americans not to waste food.
Picture
"This is what God gives us - what are you giving so that others may live? Eat less wheat, meat, fats, sugar - send more to Europe or they will starve," by A. Hendee, 1917. Library of Congress.
In the second poster, the message reads, "This is what God gives us - what are you giving so that others may live? Eat less wheat, meat, fats, sugar - send more to Europe or they will starve." The Library of Congress tentatively dates this poster as 1917, but that could be simply because it is WWI-related. However, this message is far more explicit than the first, so it may very well have been the first printed. We have specific foods to avoid, and the spectre of starvation in Europe is raised. But we also have a more explicit reference to the image itself, "This is what God gives us" is referencing the abundant produce. Which, you'll notice, does not include hams or bushels of wheat or other foods you might find in a 19th century attic. The focus is entirely on produce, which is on purpose, as eating more fruits and vegetables instead of more calorie-dense and shelf stable foods like wheat, meat, fats, and sugar. Potatoes in particular were touted as an alternative to bread. 

Although the Library of Congress has no other posters attributed to "A. Hendee," I've managed to track her - yes her! - down, thanks to a clue post from a UK museum that found her full maiden name. Alice Julia Hendee, later Alice Hendee Price, was born in 1889, possibly in Kansas as she attended the Kansas City Art Institute before moving to New York to attend the National Academy of Design and the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts. In 1917 she was listed in a city directory as living on the Upper West Side, and in 1923 she moved to Bronxville, NY in Westchester County. At some point she married architect and illustrator Chester A. Price. Alice made the local news quite frequently for her art, and by 1950 was teaching classes to area women. 
Picture
Alice Hendee Price obituary, "Mrs. Chester Price," published in the New York Times October 19, 1969.
She died in Westchester county in 1969 and outlived her husband, but in typical mid-century fashion, not his name. Like many of the illustrators and artists who created iconic propaganda posters for the First World War, Alice Hendee Price's recorded history makes no mention of her wartime work. But the stunning images remain. 

And this Thanksgiving, although we no longer need to curtail our eating habits for wartime, the message of being thankful for what we have and sharing with others is a timeless one. Have a lovely Thanksgiving, everyone, whether you're celebrating with family or friends, and I hope you can enjoy all the bounty of the season.

The Food Historian blog is supported by patrons on Patreon! Patrons help keep blog posts like this one free and available to the public. Join us for awesome members-only content like free digitized cookbooks from my personal collection, e-newsletter, and even snail mail from time to time! Don't like Patreon? Join with an annual membership below, or just leave a tip!
Become a Patron!

Tip Jar

$1.00 - $20.00
Contribute

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Sarah Wassberg Johnson has an MA in Public History from the University at Albany and studies early 20th century food history.

    Archives

    December 2024
    November 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    February 2024
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    April 2018
    October 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    16th Century
    17th Century
    18th Century
    1910s
    1920s
    1930s
    1940s
    1950s
    19th Century
    20th Century
    31 Days Of Halloween
    Abolitionists
    Abraham Lincoln
    Academia
    Advertising
    African American
    African-American
    Agricultural History Journal
    Agriculture
    Alcohol
    American Expeditionary Forces
    American Red Cross
    American Revolution
    American Southwest
    Apples
    Armenian Genocide
    Armistice
    Asian American
    Autumn
    Avocado
    Baking
    Beverages
    Birthdays
    Black History
    Black History Month
    Book Review
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Breakfast Cereals
    Brunch
    Cake
    Camping
    Candy
    Canning
    Caucasus Mountains
    Celery
    Charcuterie
    Charitable Organizations
    Cheese
    Chilis
    Chinese Food
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Citrus
    Civil Rights
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Cold Weather Cooking
    Colonialism
    Columbian Exchange
    Community Cookbooks
    Consomme
    Cookbook Authors
    Cookbook Reviews
    Cookbooks
    Cookies
    Corn
    Cornmeal
    Coronavirus
    Cottage Cheese
    Cranberries
    Dairy
    Deliveries
    Dessert
    Diet Culture
    Dinner And A Movie
    Disgust
    Disney
    Documentary Film
    Economics
    Eggs
    Eleanor Roosevelt
    Election Day
    Elizabeth Trump Walter
    Factory Labor
    Farm Cadets
    Farmerettes
    Farm Labor
    Fast Food
    Florida
    Flowers
    Food Conservation
    Food Distribution Administration
    Food Fads
    Food History
    Food History Books
    Food History Happy Hour
    Food History Roundup
    Food History Stories
    Food Library
    Food Preservation
    Food Waste
    Foraging
    French Dressing
    French Food
    Fruit Punch
    Gardening
    George Washington
    Gingerbread
    Golden Girls
    Grape Nuts
    Greens
    Hal And Edith Fullerton
    Halloween
    Halloween Candy
    Hard Cider
    Heirloom Fruit
    Heirloom Vegetables
    High Cost Of Living
    Historic Cookbooks
    Historic Menus
    History-bites-podcast
    History Channel
    Holiday
    Hollis Pantry Cook Book
    Hollywood
    Home Economics
    Hospitals
    Hot Chocolate
    Hot Cocoa
    Hot Dogs
    How To
    Ice Cream
    Ice Cream Soda
    Ice Deliveries
    Ice Harvest
    Ida Bailey Allen
    Indigenous
    Indigenous People's Day
    Inflation
    Interstate Highways
    Invalid Cookery
    Irish Food
    Italian Food
    Juneteenth
    Kitchen Design
    Kitchens
    Kraft
    Labor
    Laura Ingalls Wilder
    Lecture
    Long Island
    Macaroni And Cheese
    Meat
    Meatless Mondays
    Medieval
    Melon
    Mexican
    Mexican Food
    Midnight Suppers
    Midsummer
    Midwestern
    Military
    Milk
    Milkshakes
    Minnesota
    Mythbusting
    National War Garden Commission
    Native Foods
    Navy
    Necco
    New England
    New Year's Eve
    New Year's Resolutions
    New York State Food Supply Commission
    Normalcy
    North American
    North Dakota
    Norwegian
    Nutrition History
    NYU
    Office Of Price Administration
    Open Faced Sandwiches
    Open-faced Sandwiches
    Parades
    Parties
    Patreon Perks
    Peanut Butter
    Peanuts
    Pesticides
    Peter Pauper Press
    Picnics
    Pie
    Podcasts
    Political Cartoon
    Polynesia
    Pop Culture
    Pork
    Potatoes
    Preserve Or Perish
    President's Day
    Prohibition
    Propaganda
    Propaganda Film
    Propaganda Poster
    Public Health
    Pumpkin
    Pumpkin Pie
    Pumpkin Spice
    Punch
    Pure Food And Drug Act
    Queen Victoria
    Quick Breads
    Racism
    Radio
    Rationing
    Recipes
    Refrigeration
    Research
    Restaurants
    Rhubarb
    Rice
    Riots
    Road Food
    Root Beer
    Salad Dressing
    Salads
    Sandwiches
    Sankta Lucias Dag
    Saratoga Chips
    Sauces
    Scandinavian
    School Gardens
    School Lunch
    Shopping
    Slavery
    Smorgasbord
    Soda
    Soda Bread
    Soda Fountains
    Soup
    South American
    Soviet
    Spanish Flu
    Speaking Engagement
    Special Offer
    Spice Islands
    Spices
    Spring
    Sugar
    Summer
    Swedish
    Tea
    Tea Party
    Temperance
    Thanksgiving
    Theodore Roosevelt
    Tomatoes
    Trick Or Treat
    Trump
    Ukraine
    United States Food Administration
    United States School Garden Army
    USDA
    Valentine's Day
    Vegan
    Vegetarian
    Victory Garden
    Vitamins
    Warren G. Harding
    Waste Fats
    Wedding Cake
    Weddings
    White Chocolate
    White Christmas
    Wild Rice
    Wine
    Winter
    Woman's Land Army
    Women Of Color
    Women's History
    Women's Suffrage
    Woodrow Wilson
    World War I
    World War II
    World War Wednesdays
    Writing
    WWII
    Year In Review
    Zimmerman Telegram

    RSS Feed

Home
About
Blog
Resources
Events
Contact
The Food Historian is an Amazon.com and Bookshop.org affiliate. That means that if you purchase anything from any Amazon or Bookshop links on this website, or from the Food Historian Bookshop, you are helping to support The Food Historian and keep this website free and open to the public. Thank you!
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact >
      • Media Requests
      • Submissions
    • In the Media
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Consulting
    • Leave a Tip
  • Projects
    • Blog
    • Book
    • Historical Supper Club
    • Newsletter
    • Food History Happy Hour
    • Book Reviews
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Food Historian Bookshop
    • Recorded Talks
    • Historic Cookbooks
    • Vintage Cookbooks
    • Bibliography
    • Food Exhibits
    • TV and Film
    • Food Historian Library
    • Printable Newsletters
    • Thesis
    • Other Publications
  • Events