World War I Poster - Apres Les Foyers du Soldat Les Foyers du Civil

"After Hostels for Soldiers, Hostels for Civilians." This poster was made for the Society of the Hearths of the French-American Union by artist Justin Marie Georges Dorival. After World War I, the YMCA continued to offer many forms of assistance to military personnel who had served in Europe. The picture portrays a soldier walking through the wind and rain towards hostels hoisting French and American flags.The YMCA maintained over 1500 canteens in France where service men could eat, sleep, bathe and relax. The organization's workers even provided entertainment as they sought to maintain the body, mind and spirit of the soldiers to whom they ministered. The artist, Justin Marie Georges Dorival, had trained in Paris at the National School of Decorative Arts. Before the war, he garnered increasing fame as a poster artist for tourism and advertizing industries. During World War I, Dorival designed posters for the French Red Cross and the Women's Union of France. He also created war time posters for organizations in the United States, such as the YMCA. Throughout his career as a graphic artist, he signed his work as "Geo Dorival."The bottom left-hand corner has withstood some damage and is incomplete