Margie was a very different kind of pin-up girl. She was not salacious, and her clothes were neatly buttoned up. She was a young wife on the homefront pining for soldier husband, and her serious and articulate “letters” that appeared alongside her image were about managing money. But she was a big hit with the young men fighting overseas during World War II.

“Margie” was created to encourage soldiers to manage their pay. Her letters informed soldiers about soldiers’ deposits, personal transfer accounts, Class E allotments of pay, War Bonds, and National Service Life insurance. The posters were distributed in posts, commands, and theaters of operation.

She was also a real person. Margie Stewart passed away this May at the age of 92. She was not a soldier, but she gave the men overseas a reason and a reminder to plan for a life with their sweethearts after the war ended.

These posters are part of the holdings of the National Archives and can be found in Record Group 44.

299 Notes/ Hide

  1. a-spark-of-desire reblogged this from sterekeverafter
  2. sterekeverafter reblogged this from usnatarchives
  3. obodosomo reblogged this from usnatarchives
  4. gracefree reblogged this from usnatarchives
  5. c0smicdust reblogged this from usnatarchives
  6. slickarmstrong reblogged this from usnatarchives
  7. stellalora reblogged this from usnatarchives
  8. meowglitter reblogged this from usnatarchives
  9. yculflores55 reblogged this from usnatarchives
  10. remembertheoddness reblogged this from curiositycounts
  11. twohandedengine reblogged this from todaysdocument
  12. overachieving-underachiever reblogged this from todaysdocument
  13. sjoyner reblogged this from curiositycounts
  14. emilygravlee reblogged this from curiositycounts
  15. ggilbert1801 reblogged this from curiositycounts
  16. unsophisticatedauteur reblogged this from todaysdocument
  17. jsandoval3566 reblogged this from curiositycounts
  18. suchaprettypoison reblogged this from todaysdocument
  19. lhartman5533 reblogged this from curiositycounts
  20. cwilkerson4206 reblogged this from curiositycounts
  21. punkrockchangedourlives reblogged this from todaysdocument
  22. blackbirdbaroness reblogged this from todaysdocument
  23. tattermedemalion reblogged this from thedailyvictorian
  24. egaines973 reblogged this from curiositycounts
  25. rhi-rainbow reblogged this from usnatarchives
  26. aliiiinnaa reblogged this from todaysdocument
  27. deathbyanonymity reblogged this from curiositycounts
  28. lemonpoppyseedladyhusband reblogged this from todaysdocument
  29. morbidyetdelightful reblogged this from usnatarchives