African Americans have made extraordinary contributions to the history and culture of the United States as part of the nation and apart from it. This month, Auction Finds present s “28 days (Plus 1)” of this collaborative history. The additional day is intended to break Black history out of the stricture of a month into its rightful place as an equal partner in the history of America. Each day, I will offer artifacts culled from the auction tables and my research, along with the stories they hold.
Feb. 5, 2022
Tuskegee Airmen 1943 “Buy War Bonds” poster
To sell war bonds during World War II, the U.S. government appealed to its populace, including African Americans whose skin was black but whose dollars were green. Officials chose an image that would compel them to open up their wallets and pocketbooks.
The U.S. Treasury commissioned a poster that featured a Tuskegee airman. In its own subtle way, the poster could be seen as a show of support for Black airmen at a time when the military doubted their ability to fly planes. The model for the 1943 poster was Lt. Robert W. Deiz, who was in the first class of trainees at the segregated Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. Read the full story.
