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"The man, be rich or poor, is little to be
envied, who at this supreme moment fails to bring forward his
life savings for the security of his country."
Slogan to be found on the application for a Victory Bond during
the 1917 Victory Loan campaign.
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![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Be Yours to Hold It High! [Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16146_angel_520.jpg)
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see a larger image (372K)
Be Yours to Hold It High! [Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]
F. L. Nicolet
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-7
Archives of Ontario, I0016146
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The Canadian Government sold Victory
Bonds to Canadian citizens, private corporations and various organizations
in order to raise funds to pay for the war. The bonds were a loan
to the government that could be redeemed with interest after 5,10,
or 20 years and were released during 5 different campaigns between
1915 and 1919. In 1915 a hundred million dollars worth of Victory
Bonds was issued and quickly purchased.
Each Victory Bond release saw a supporting poster campaign overseen
by the Victory Loan Dominion Publicity Committee.
Click
to see a larger image (381K)
Come On! Let's Finish the Job [Canada]
[ca. 1918]
Arthur Keelor
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-8
Archives of Ontario, I0016147 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Come On! Let's Finish the Job [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16147_come_on_270.jpg) |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Yours Not to Do or Die [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16144_yours_270.jpg)
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Yours Not to Do or Die [Canada], [ca. 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-5
Archives of Ontario, I0016144 | ![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Back Him Up! Buy Victory Bonds [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16140_back_him_up_270.jpg)
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Back Him Up! Buy Victory Bonds [Canada], [ca. 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-11
Archives of Ontario, I0016140 |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
The posters were generally quite
large and printed in vivid colour on poor quality paper, often
in substantial numbers. For example, the poster “VICTORY
BONDS WILL HELP STOP THIS” shown to the right had
a print run of approximately 60,000.
The image portrays the sinking of the Llandovery Castle,
an unarmed hospital ship that was torpedoed on the 27th of June,
1918 with the loss of 234 lives, 14 of whom were Canadian nurses.
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to see a larger image (451K)
Victory Bonds Will Help Stop This - Kultur vs. Humanity
[Canada], [ca. 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-19
Archives of Ontario, I0016157 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Victory Bonds Will Help Stop This - Kultur vs. Humanity [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16157_llandovery_270.jpg) |
Over 3,000 of Canada’s
Nursing Sisters volunteered at the start of the war. They worked
in hospitals and other institutions across Europe and often close
to the front lines. 61 nurses died during the war, primarily from
sickness. |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
To document the activities
of the Canadian forces the Canadian Expeditionary Force sent their
own photographers to Europe to record the events. Some of the
images they created served as the basis or inspiration for future
posters. |
![Photo: Victorious Canadians celebrating after fighting on Vimy Ridge, [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/4800_men_on_trucks_270.jpg)
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Victorious Canadians celebrating after fighting
on Vimy Ridge, [ca. 1918]
Unknown photographer.
Canadian Expeditionary Force albums
Reference Code: C 224-0-0-9-41
Archives of Ontario, I0004800 | ![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Pave the way to Victory - Buy Victory Bonds [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16164_pave_the_way_270.jpg)
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Pave the way to Victory - Buy Victory Bonds
[Canada], [ca. 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-26
Archives of Ontario, I0016164 |
To see more of these photographic
images visit our Visual
Database and do an advanced search
using the term Canadian Expeditionary Force in
the "Creator" field. |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
Posters constantly urged
everyone to purchase bonds. Women in the home put money aside
from their housekeeping allowance and children were encouraged
to collect Thrift Stamps that could be accumulated until enough
had been saved to buy a Victory Bond.
The Victory Bond campaign of 1918 was one of the most successful
raising over $600,000 in three weeks. Although hostilities ended
on the 11th November 1918, another campaign was launched in 1919
focusing on the theme of “Bring Our Boys Back”
and the need to raise funds for the rehabilitation of returning
soldiers. |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Bring Him Home with the Victory Loan [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16171_bring_him_home_270.jpg)
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Bring Him Home with the Victory Loan
[Canada], [ca. 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-299
Archives of Ontario, I0016171 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Re-establish Him [Canada], [ca. 1919]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16145_re_establish_270.jpg)
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Re-establish Him [Canada], [ca. 1919]
F. L. Nicolet
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-210
Archives of Ontario, I0016145 |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
Victory Loan Flags
were designed to reward those communities that made significant
contributions to the Victory Bond campaigns. The population of
a city, town or district must have purchased a certain value in
Victory Bonds and upon reaching that target the citizens were
rewarded with the presentation of a Victory Loan Honour Flag.
In 1919 a new flag was commissioned for that year's campaign
and it was decided to incorporate the heraldic arms of Prince
of Wales, the future Edward the VIII, into the flag's design.
The Prince visited Canada in September 1919 and raised the flag
at Parliament on Labour Day weekend. The Prince’s remark
” I hope every City and District will win my flag”
became part of the poster campaign as seen in the image to the
right. |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Let Us Win the Prince of Wales' Flag [Canada], 1919](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16160_prince_of_wales_270.jpg)
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Let Us Win the Prince of Wales' Flag
[Canada], 1919
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-22
Archives of Ontario, I0016160 |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
In 1916 the Canadian Government
established the War Poster Service to produce posters in both English
and French. French posters were often a mirror version of the English design but some unique posters were created just for the French speaking population. |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: If Ye Break Faith - We Shall Not Sleep [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16153_if_ye_break_270.jpg)
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If Ye Break Faith - We Shall Not Sleep
[Canada], [ca. 1918]
F. L. Nicolet
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-16a
Archives of Ontario, I0016153 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Pour que la terre leur soit legere [Canada], [ca. 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16154_la_terre_270.jpg)
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Pour que la terre leur soit legere
[Canada], [ca. 1918]
F. L. Nicolet
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-16b
Archives of Ontario, I0016154 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: To Maintain the Prosperity of Canada [Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16142_5_per_cent_270.jpg)
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to see a larger image (329K)
To Maintain the Prosperity of Canada
[Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-2
Archives of Ontario, I0016142 |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Pour maintenir la prosperite du Canada [Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16165_5_per_cent_fr_250.jpg)
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to see a larger image (404K)
Pour maintenir la prosperite du Canada
[Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-201
Archives of Ontario, I0016165 |
![](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) |
![War Poster - Victory Bonds: Stick it Canada, Buy more Victory Bonds [Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]](/web/20061219051456im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/posters/pics/16354_stick_it_canada_270.jpg) |
The Victory Bond Campaign was reintroduced
during the Second World War and upon the cessation of hostilities
eventually led in 1946 to the government issuing Canada Savings
Bonds in order to encourage Canadians to continue the savings
habit that Victory Bonds had established.
Click
to see a larger image (501K)
Stick it Canada, Buy more Victory Bonds
[Canada], [between 1914 and 1918]
Creator unknown
Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection
Reference Code: C 233-2-0-1-288
Archives of Ontario, I0016354 |
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