Which of the American symbolic images are the most recognizable, have absorbed the national idea, live in the hearts of many people? Statue of Liberty, hamburger, Mickey Mouse. And, of course, Uncle Sam! This (akin to extraction ideas about Russians: balalaika, bear, vodka, caviar) is forever imprinted in the brains of any tourist who has arrived in the United States.
Character story
Who is Uncle Sam? This, in fact, is the main character of the American propaganda poster. The figure shows an elderly man with delicate facial features, dressed in a blue tailcoat and a cylinder of "American" colors with asterisks. He stares straight at us sternly and says (literally): "I need YOU for the US Army!" The fact is that as a character, Uncle Sam has gained popularity in American folklore since 1812, during the war with Great Britain. According to one version, the supplier of provisions for the army was a businessman named Sam. All goods to support the troops were then marked (and are now marked) in bold letters U and S, which meant, of course, the United States. However, miraculously, the abbreviation coincided with the humorous decoding of Uncle Sam (USA - Uncle Sam). From here came this steady expression. Fortunately, an ardent assistant to the American military was called that!
Another version
According to another legend, the United States was not always called USA. The name USAm was also practiced, from which comes Uncle Sam (U. Sam). The jokers of that time “deciphered” the inscription, hence the phrase “Uncle Sam” came about.
Finger poster
I must say that Uncle Sam is far from the first (and not the last) campaign for the army. Three years earlier (1914), the British issued a similar poster, capturing on it the then British War Secretary, Lord Kitchener. And the classic drawing of Uncle Sam was framed as a poster in 1917, during the First World War. Moreover, the artist (J. Flagg) drew his face to the character, thus perpetuating himself for all time. Then the well-known inscription appears at the bottom of the picture: "The US Army needs you." Uncle Sam, as it were, points a finger at the interlocutor standing directly in front of him.
It is interesting that in the USSR they used this idea in the famous poster “Have you signed up as a volunteer?”, Only changed the color scheme of the picture from white-blue to radically red. The artist who painted this work (D. Moor) also used his face as a prototype of the Budyonnovsky hero, painted himself. At the beginning of World War II, Moor updates the old poster - here is a soldier with a rifle, in a helmet and with section pouches. And the idea of a poster with a Budyonnovtsy, in turn, was borrowed by I. Toidze, the artist who created the famous poster of the Second World War - “Mother Mother Calls!”.
Tracking picture
All the above posters, including "Uncle Sam", are built on the model, which is called the "tracking image". This kind of artistic illusion, known to artists since ancient times, in which, looking at the picture from any angle, in any angle, as if you see the character’s eyes. It seems that he is constantly looking at you. In propaganda campaigns, such techniques are designed to enhance the psychological effect of the presence, additionally affect the human brain. To make the picture follow, draw a person in full view. The body is turned directly to the viewer. And the look is directed straight ahead. Thus achieve the desired effect.
Uncle Sam today
The classic, revered image in the modern interpretation sometimes undergoes some changes: it can be depicted in casual clothes, even in overalls or jeans. But the cylinder, the same as a hundred years ago, remains traditional. Uncle's main trait has also been and remains unchanged - care about who needs it so much. Also known is the phrase: "Uncle Sam cares about you, " familiar to every poor or afflicted American.
Perpetuate the image
In September 1961, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution glorifying Sam Wilson as a prototype of Uncle Sam. In the businessman’s hometown, a commemorative monument is installed that tells how events happened. Similar at the grave of "Uncle Sam" in the city of Troy. Disputes about the origin of the character do not subside to this day. All new versions, alternative theories, appear. Although for sure the exact story is unlikely to ever have to find out!
