Jack Ludtke
Reporter
Although our school has always tried to make its hallways unique and educational, this year we have taken this mission to a whole new level. Starting this year, the history department has started hanging several anonymously donated antique World War I era posters.
Students have definitely taken notice of the new additions. “When I saw them at the beginning of the year, I thought that they were really cool,” junior Matt Parrino said. “It’s fun seeing something that you talk about in history class in a place that you walk by every day.”
“We did not expect these posters at all,” Richard Webb, NCHS Social Studies Department Chair, said. “They were dropped off by an anonymous benefactor from New Canaan who found them in their attic. Needless to say, we were very happy to receive them.”
According to Mr. Webb, the posters originally came to the school in a more worn-out and run-down condition. The school has since taken steps to refurbish the banners and ensure their continued good condition.
“Before they were put up, I took the posters to an expert archival document business, who put them on acid free paper and under special glass that reflects light,” Mr. Webb said. “We as a school definitely handpicked the best place to have them cleaned up.”
Issued by the government during the “War to End all Wars,” these posters served as advertisements for buying government “Liberty” bonds, which supported the Red Cross, increased farming output and encouraged the average person to conserve resources for the war effort.
After the Treaty of Versailles ended the fighting, the government discontinued production of the posters, making them rare collectors items in antique document circles. Today, posters of this kind are usually valued between fifty and five hundred dollars, depending on the condition of the poster and the number of copies originally made.
“Additions like this really help students to understand events in history to a higher degree,” Junior Jessica Sandor said. “Just seeing them everyday is a huge part of learning something new.”
These posters can be seen in social studies areas on both floors, in addition to a few that hang in math halls on the second floor. Despite the concentrated area of posters, Mr. Webb feels that the entire the school can enjoy them. “These posters are beyond awesome,” he said. “They are original, have great content, and are simply beautiful. They are great things for the school to have.
Also, according to Mr. Webb, the work that can be done on these posters is nowhere near done yet. He envisions a project in the near future where students can create identification labels for each piece, which would have some basic information included on them. “What we want students to do is to find out who made it, when did they make it, and why it is significant.”
“I would be interested in finding out more about these posters,” Jessica said. “It would benefit students by telling them more about their significance.”
Whatever lies in store for these posters, students can only hope that they remain up in the halls. “I think that keeping the posters up in the hall is great,” Matt said. “It’s things like these posters that make our halls unique and interesting.”
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see the posters all over the school – they were donated by my husband. They had been in his family for years and we didn’t know what to do with them when they landed at our house. When I gave them to Mr. Pavia last June, he told me they would be framed and hung throughout the school. I was so glad to see them when I was at NCHS for a meeting recently. They are so important to our history and understanding the patriotic efforts of our country during WWI. I know my husband’s cousin will be so glad to see they have treated so well and will be part of the curriculum.