Red Cross Flag

“Red Cross Flag” was one of many posters issued during World War I to encourage support of the war. The American Red Cross Service Flag was given out to different communities that supported the Red Cross organization. This flag represented membership of the Red Cross and was displayed as an indication of support of the Red Cross. As members were added to a community, small red crosses were put in the white area of the poster. The artist and publication date are unknown; however, these posters were most likely distributed in 1917-1918. Before the war, the Red Cross was a small and insignificant organization based in the U.S. During the war, they saved money and provided help to the warring nations in Europe. Once the U.S. entered the war, the Red Cross was inundated with volunteers and funding from the government. WWI made the Red Cross into a global organization that was capable of helping people around the world.