Poster – First to Fight

“First to Fight” is probably the single most iconic Polish poster to come out of World War II. Its powerful imagery of the battle-scarred Polish flag defiantly still flying, and the lucid wording, immediately convey that Poland, which was the first of the Allies to fight Hitler, remains battered but unbowed. Read more....

Historically, military and wartime posters have been used to recruit, inspire, build morale, instruct, and/or influence allies and enemies.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and two days later Britain declared war on Germany. Created in late 1939 by Polish artist Marek Żuławski, then living in London, “First to Fight” is clearly intended to rally British support for Poland (and peripherally support in America, which at that time was not yet in the war). In addition to targeting governments and their military, the poster was also undoubtedly used to reach out to Polish communities in those countries, who might in turn be able to exert influence on their respective governments.

This poster was widely circulated throughout the war. It was reprinted by the Polish government-in-exile as needed, including at least one printing done in Cairo in about 1942.

Our poster is reproduced with permission from a 1939 original in a private collection. Available in two types of paper and two sizes.

• Papers:
  • ENHANCED MATTE PAPER — Museum-quality poster made on thick and durable matte paper. The archival, acid-free paper yields brilliant prints to brighten up any room.
  • PREMIUM LUSTER PHOTO PAPER — A mixture of a gloss and matte finish, giving you a highly saturated look and maximum ink coverage. Slightly glossy, fingerprint resistant.
• Sizes (measured from outside edges of the paper; outside border width varies slightly depending on dimensions of original poster):
  • 18″ x 24″ (45.7 cm x 60.9 cm)
  • 24″ x 36″ (60.9 cm x 91.4 cm)
• Giclée-printing quality
• 10 mil (0.25 mm) thick

 

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it might take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!

Our products are printed and/or made primarily in North America or Europe, usually depending on which location is closer to your shipping address. In many cases, however, the underlying components will be sourced from other countries, which may be reflected on a small “Made in” label or tag.