Which of the American character images are the mostrecognizable, absorbed the national idea, live in the hearts of many people? Statue of Liberty, hamburger, Mickey Mouse. And, of course, Uncle Sam! This (akin to the extraction ideas about Russians: a balalaika, a bear, vodka, caviar) is forever imprinted in the minds of any tourist who has arrived in the USA.
Who is uncle Sam?In fact, this is the main character of the American propaganda poster. The illustration shows an elderly man with delicate features, dressed in a blue coat and top hat of “American” colors with asterisks. He looks sternly directly at us and says (literally): “YOU need me for the US Army!” The fact is that, as a character, Uncle Sam gained popularity in American folklore since 1812, during the war with Great Britain. According to one version, the supplier of supplies for the army was a certain businessman named Sam. All goods to ensure the troops were marked then (and marked now) in bold letters U and S, which meant, of course, the United States. However, miraculously the abbreviation coincided with the humorous interpretation of Uncle Sam (USA - Uncle Sam). From here and this stable expression has gone. Fortunately, the ardent assistant of the American military was exactly that!
According to another legend, the United States is not alwayswere called USA. Another name was practiced - USAm, from which Uncle Sam (U. Sam) is derived. The jokers of the time "deciphered" the inscription, hence the phrase "Uncle Sam".
I must say that Uncle Sam - this is not the first(and not the last) agitation for the army. Three years earlier (1914), the British produced a similar poster, capturing on it the then British Secretary of War Lord Kitchener. A classic picture of Uncle Sam was decorated as a poster in 1917, during the First World War. Moreover, the artist (J. Flagg) drew his face to the character, thus perpetuating himself for all times. Then the well-known inscription appears at the bottom of the picture: “You need the US Army.” Uncle Sam seems to point his finger at the interlocutor, standing directly in front of him.
Интересно, что в СССР использовали эту идею в the famous poster “Did you sign up to volunteer?”, just changed the color scheme of the pattern from white-blue to radically red. The artist, who painted this work (D. Moore), also used his face as a prototype of the Budennovsk hero, painted himself. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Moore updates the old poster - here the soldier with a rifle, in a helmet and with sectional pouches. And the idea of a poster with Budennovsk, in turn, was borrowed by I. Toidze, the artist who created the famous poster of the times of the Second World War - “The Motherland is calling!”.
All the above posters, including “UncleSam ", are built on a model that is called" tracking image. " Such a kind of artistic illusion, known to artists from ancient times, in which, looking at a picture from any angle, from any angle, as if you see the eyes of a character. It seems that he constantly looks at you. In propaganda campaigns, such methods are designed to enhance the psychological effect of the presence, to influence additionally on the human brain. To make a picture of the track, draw a person in full face. The body is turned directly to the viewer. And the look is directed straight ahead. Thus achieve the desired effect.
Classic, all revered image inmodern interpretation sometimes undergoes some changes: it can be depicted in everyday clothes, even in overalls or jeans. But the cylinder, the same as a hundred years ago, remains traditional. The main trait of the uncle was and remains unchanged - taking care of who needs it so much. The phrase “Uncle Sam cares about you” is also known, familiar to every poor or suffering American.
In September 1961, the US Congress adoptedresolution glorifying Sam Wilson as a type of Uncle Sam. In the businessman’s hometown, a memorable monument is installed telling how events took place. Similar on the grave of "Uncle Sam" in the city of Troy. Disputes about the origin of the character does not subside to this day. There are all new versions, alternative theories. Although for sure the exact story is unlikely to ever have to find out!
In peacetime, as opposed to wartime,when the bright image of his uncle carried positive, agitational, propaganda notes, many caricatures and parodies were created, which seemed to (at first glance) "discredit" the name of Uncle Sam. But this is far from the case! After all, negative advertising also has a good effect on people's minds. In countries where anti-American sentiments are present, uncle posters are often used to illustrate US imperial ambitions. In their demonstrations and pickets, anti-globalists also sometimes burn Uncle Sam's effigy along with the American flag. But despite all this, the image of Uncle Sam in history has been and remains rather positive than negative.
