WAC - Are You a Girl With a Star-Spangled Heart?

"Are You a Girl with a Star-Spangled Heart?" is a 1943 WWII Women's Army Corps recruitment poster that proudly features a patriotic servicewoman with the American flag by Bradshaw Crandell. This rare poster likely depicts either an actual servicewoman or is a pastiche of famous leading ladies.

Bradshaw Crandell (1896 - 1966) was a highly regarded illustrator and portraitist. Like many commercial artists of his time, Crandell got his start working for literary and humor magazines such as Judge and Harper's. He later became known as an "artist to the stars" for his portraits of screen legends such as Carole Lombard, Lana Turner, and Bette Davis.

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

The WAC 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.

This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster has been archivally backed onto linen and is in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.