World history: US World War-era poster collection to go digital

The Bangor Public Library (USA) keeps over 800 World War I and World War II posters. Since this winter, Bangor-based photographer James Daigle has been collaborating with the University of Maine's Fogler Library to digitize most of these posters. Bangor Public Library plans to unveil his collection of digital images of these posters on Veterans Day - November 11, 2011. Eugene Daigle and his wife Barbara Daigle of Bangor - both military veterans, are funding the digitization project.

The images are iconic. Not only are they prime examples of Americana and commercial art from the World War I and World War II eras, they also evoke memories of Americans’ shared sacrifices during two events that left indelible marks on the nation.

The collection was compiled by L. Felix Ranlett, a WWI veteran and military history buff. The collection is believed to be one the largest of its kind in the country.

While most of the posters are in good condition, they are fragile, and as a result infrequently displayed. That will change later this year as the result of a digitization project now under way.

The project’s aim is to allow the public to access the images, which will be stored on UMaine’s URSUS server. Daigle said that he so far has digitized about 500 of the posters. These in turn can be converted into JPEG images, which are well-suited for Internet viewing, he said.

Daigle said people need to see the posters because they serve as a reminder of the effect war has on people and countries and “so it doesn’t happen again.”