Keep Us Flying - Tuskegee Airman

It is very rare in WWII posters to know the identity of the exact soldier being depicted. This scarce and highly sought after poster by Betsy Graves Reyneau (1888 - 1964) is one such poster; here is a detailed portrait of famous Tuskegee Airman, Robert W. Deiz with the simple but effective message of, "Buy War Bonds".

The Tuskegee Airmen were an all-black WWII unit of the American Air Force. The name came from their training campus in Tuskegee, Alabama. They were recruited from across America, and became the first Black pilots in US military history. They became symbols of black excellence in the Jim Crow era in America, and had exemplary records in the air during battles. Robert Deiz (1919-1992) was a US Air Force officer and hugely successful combat pilot. During WWII, he flew over 90 missions and stayed in the military for 20 years.

Betsey Graves Reyneau was an accomplished painter with a focus on social justice movements. She was one of the first suffragettes to be arrested in 1917 for protesting for women's rights to the vote. From 1926-1939 she lived in France, taking in Jewish citizens to hide them during the early days of Nazi occupation. Upon returning to America as the war broke out in full, she used her commission from the US Government to create a war bond poster and an opportunity to highlight the brave men of Tuskegee. Civil Rights issues in America became her new passion, which she fought for through her persistent depiction of important black figures in America. Her portrait of George Washington Carver became the first image of a black man to be part of an American national museum collection.

This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.