We Asked Toronto to Remix Wartime Posters for the Current Moment — See the Amazing Results

“All the signs of support in our city during the pandemic have been truly inspiring. Also, they made me think of the many wartime posters held in our Baldwin Collection of Canadiana in Special Collections. Both today’s signs and these vintage posters capture key moments in history.

We turned to the Toronto subreddit (a social media forum) to ask Torontonians to adapt these wartime posters to speak to the new historic moment we’re currently in.

Out of 66 remixed posters, we picked 16 to highlight below. To everyone who contributed, thank you!

Click or tap on the images for a larger version.


1.

Side by side posters, one on left has soldier with the text We are saving you you save food well fed soldiers will win the war, poster on right show solider in face mask with text We are saving you you save masks, well protected nurses will win the war

3Original poster (left): Canada Food Board, 1914

Remix poster (right): u/Pringlulz, 2020

 


 

2.

Side by side posters, one on left showing planes in sky with text Nothing Matters Now But Victory Buy Victory Bonds, poster on right shows virus in sky above Toronto skyline with text Nothing Matters Now But Health Please Stay Home

Original poster (left): National War Finance Committee, 1943

Remix poster (right): u/anamarg, 2020

 


 

3.

Side by side posters, left one showing menacing hands with Axis forces icons approaching a woman and baby with text Keep These Hands Off, Buy the Victory Bonds, poster on right shows woman and baby with face masks with hands approaching and text Keep These Hands Off Who Knows What Or Who You Touched

Original poster (left): National War Finance Committee, 1941

Remix poster (right): u/Desitos, 2020

 


 

4.

Side by side posters, left poster showing soldier and man donating money with text If You Cannot Put the I into Fight You can Put the Pay into Patriotism By Giving To the Canadian Patriotic Fund, and right poster showing medical staff with thermometer and man giving money with text reading If You Cannot Put the I into Fight You Can Put the Do into Donate If You're Able To By Giving to Your Local Canadian Hospital

Original poster (left): Canadian Patriotic Fund, 1914

Remix poster (right): Heather Scott, 2020

 


5.

Side by side posters, left one showing soldier in battlefield with text Back Him Up Buy Victory Bonds, poster on right shows person in protective medical gear in front of same battlefield with text Back Him Up Stay Home

Original poster (left): Victory Loan Dominion Publicity Committee, 1918

Remix poster (right): u/zeekayart, 2020


 

6.

Side by side posters, left poster showing four heads of Axis forces from First World War and text Four Reasons for Buying Victory Bonds, poster on right shows someone who appears to be homeless, a person in a face mask, a senior and a baby with the text Four Reasons to Stay Home

Original poster (left): Victory Loan Dominion Publicity Committee, 1914

Remix poster (right): u/MedurraObrongata, 2020

 


 

7.

Side by side posters, left poster showing man in military uniform looking out to the city and a farm with text Reestablish Him It's Up to Us Buy Victory Bonds, poster on right shows same man looking out of windows with text Stay Home Save Lives

Original poster (left): Central Recruiting Committee, 1914

Remix poster (right): Alan Collier (host of Our Science podcast), 2020

 


 

8.

Side by side posters, left poster showing worker launching planes with hands and text Roll Em Out, poster on right showing worker with headphones surrounded by musical notes and a record with the text Stay Home, Spin Vinyl

Original poster (left): Director of Aircraft Production, 1940

Remix poster (right): Tafelmusik, 2020

 


 

9.

Side by side posters, left poster showing couple looking at elephant with the text If You Don't Need It Don't Buy It, poster on right showing same image and text with the elephant replaced with toilet paper

Original poster (left): McLaren, 1941

Remix poster (right): u/etc-etc-, 2020

 


10.

Side by side posters, left poster with Lion and text Are Your Folks Ashamed of You for Not Enlisting, poster on right showing lion with flecks in front of mouth and two other lions with face masks and text Are Your Folks Ashamed of You for Open Sneezing

Original poster (left): Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 1918

Remix poster (right): u/StetCW, 2020

 


 

11.

Side by side posters, left one showing smiling soldier holding paper, text reading You Serve by Saving Buy War Savings Certificates, right one showing sketch of Justin Trudeau holding paper and text You Deserve It CERB Is There for You

Original poster (left): Victory Loan Dominion Publicity Committee, 1918

Remix poster (right): Dionysus (u/psychedDionysus) 2020

 


 

12.

Side by side posters, left poster showing a ship and workers with text Our Export Trade is Vital Buy Victory Bonds, right poster shows same image with text Welcome to Canada Self Isolate for Fourteen Days

Original poster (left): Arthur Keelor, 1914

Remix poster (right): @dusanvf, 2020

 


13.

Side by side posters, left poster showing hands holding industrial buildings and text This is Our Strength Labour and Management are Pooling Their Strength to Give Us the Means for Victory in War and Progress in Peace, and right poster showing same hands holding soap with water and text This is Our 20 Seconds Wash Hands with Soap and Water Pool Their Strength to Give Us the Means for Victory Against COVID 19 and Flatten the Curve

Original poster (left): Wartime Information Board, 1945

Remix poster (right): @kristupha, 2020

 


14.

Side by side posters, left poster showing man with though bubble reading I Should Go But and then text reading You Are No Exception Join Now, and right poster with same man and thought bubble but with text You Are No Exception Stay Home

Original poster (left): Central Recruiting Committee, 1914

Remix poster (right): u/tyrannaceratops, 2020

 


 

15.

Side by side posters, left poster showing men charging into battle with text Your Chums are Fighting Why Aren't You, and right poster showing women baking with face masks with text Your Chums are Baking Why Aren't You

Original poster (left): Central Recruiting Committee, 1914

Remix poster (right): Amy Kwong / Smitten Kitten, 2020

 


16.

Side by side posters, with left poster showing military uniforms and reading The Fashionable Spring Suit this Year is Khaki is Yours Ordered, and right poster showing pajamas and reading The Fashionable Spring Suit This Year is Flannel Has Yours Come Yet

Original poster (left): Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 1914

Remix poster (right): @dustonmyboots, 2020

 


 

Visit our Digital Archive to check out all historical items digitized from our collections. Includes over 100,000 photos from the Toronto Star.

Or read our post, World War II Posters: 5 Things They Told Canadians To Do.