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Prepared from the source scan: surroundings removed and the sheet levelled where required. The source record remains available below.
The Posters That Went to War · Over There
Knights of Columbus
William Balfour Ker · Knights of Columbus, 1917
Format
Archival pigment giclée on museum-grade matte art paper, color-managed to the source scan — the flat inks and stone grain intact. The 40×60 is the room-changer.
Size
$39.00
What it is
A colour lithograph William Balfour Ker drew for the Knights of Columbus in 1917, 68 by 51 cm.
Why it matters
The Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal order, ran welfare work for American troops through the war. Ker was a declared socialist whose pictures of class and poverty were widely reproduced, and he also worked for the Liberty bond and war savings stamp drives.
What to notice
A priest looks heavenward and raises a crucifix in blessing over soldiers on their knees. The sheet appears to have been cut along its bottom edge.
A blessing given before the trench.
Provenance
- School
- The Great War Poster (United States and the world)
- Designer
- William Balfour Ker
- Campaign
- Relief and Welfare
- Format
- Political poster
- Poster published
- Knights of Columbus, 1917
- Source
- Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division · LCCN 2002711996 · POS - US .K46, no. 2 (C size) [P&P]
Rights: CLEAR. Public domain — U.S. 95-year rule (published 1930 or earlier). Gated by the poster’s own publication year. Cleared by registry on 2026-11-02. Commons licence re-read 2026-11-02 on the Commons mirror of the same LoC scan: Public domain (PD-1923, PD-Layout, PD-US-expired).
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