Hasten the homecoming. Buy Victory Bonds

American Second World War poster depicting a family, dog and neighbours welcoming home a soldier to a tenemnt building. The poster encouraged the purchase of Victory bonds to 'hasten the homecoming'. This poster reproduces the painting on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post of 26 May 1945. Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was born in New York City and talented at a young age, he received his first commission at age 17. In 1916, he created the first of 321 covers for 'The Saturday Evening Post'. Rockwell's Americana images were loved by the public, but not embraced by critics. He created Second World War posters and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977. His success as an artist stemmed from his careful appreciation for everyday American scenes, the warmth of small-town life in particular. Often what he depicted was treated with a certain simple charm and sense of humor.