1943 SPARS - Serve with Women's Reserve - U.S. Coast Guard
DESCRIPTION
This is an evocative World War II recruitment poster, illustrated by Jo Valentin, that was designed and published by to encourage women to join the SPARS; the Women’s Reserve of the United States Coast Guard.
Dominating the composition is a poised SPAR officer in full dress uniform, saluting with confidence and resolve. Behind her, a Coast Guard cutter navigates the seas, symbolizing the modern role of women in naval service. Looming above in a painterly vision of the past is a pioneer woman with a musket, standing before a covered wagon. This historical figure serves as a powerful metaphor, linking the courage and fortitude of America’s frontier women with the service and sacrifice of contemporary women during wartime.
The Spars were established in 1942 as the Coast Guard's female reserve component, named after the service’s motto "Semper Paratus Always Ready Service." With the United States fully engaged in a global war, the creation of SPARS allowed women to take on essential shore-based duties such as clerical work, communications, and logistics, thereby freeing male personnel for combat and sea duty. Like the Navy’s WAVES and the Army’s WACs, the SPARS marked a significant step in expanding the role of women within the U.S. armed forces.
Valentine’s poster is both inspirational and symbolic, blending patriotic realism with historical continuity. It positions women's wartime service as part of a larger American legacy of perseverance and national defense. By drawing on familiar imagery and emotional resonance, the artwork sought not only to recruit but also to redefine public perception of women’s capabilities and their place in the military during a critical moment in American history.
Inventory #92300
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622