Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory - Women's Army Corps

"Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" is a 1944 WWII recruitment poster that proudly features a patriotic servicewoman atop a pastiche of air and land battles. The phrase "mine eyes have seen the glory" is a reference to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a song popular during the American Civil War that became a rallying cry during times of American patriotism.

The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was founded in 1942 in order to supplement the stateside production for the armed forces. WAAC's initially served as switchboard operators, mechanics/arms repair, and bakers. Later positions expanded to office oriented assignments and drivers.

The WAAC program encountered a strong critical reaction, painting the women as, at best, taking jobs from men, and, at worst, as lesbians or consorts to servicemen. This necessitated a wide promotional campaign, which sought to portray the women as patriotic and to show them involved in the war effort. Clothing designers produced outfits based on the WAAC uniform for commercial sale.

About 150,000 American women served during World War II. The division lasted until 1978, when female service-members were integrated into their corresponding areas of the armed forces.

es Wilhelm Schlaikjer (1897-1982) began his professional career while still in high school painting for a Chicago newspaper. He continued his studies at Ecole Des Beaux Arts as well as the School of the Art Institute, where he studied under Robert Henri. His paintings graced the covers of many of the popular magazines of the time including, Scribner's, Collier's, American Legion Monthly, Redbook, Woman's Home Companion, and Cosmopolitan. He taught at the National Academy of Design, and later at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts.

In 1942, he was recruited by the United States War Department as a poster artist. He created many posters with a variety of themes during the war, which are highly sought after by collectors. He also served as a portraitist for military leaders including, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George S. Patton. These portraits now hang in the National War College in Washington, D.C. Schlaikjer is most known for his many recruitment posters during World War II. His academic painterly style was popular at the time and helped convey the realism of the messaging.

This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition.

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