The Hoover Institution was founded in 1919 to document the major political trends of the modern era. The focus has always been to preserve primary sources such as diaries, correspondence, unpublished memoirs and political ephemera. From the very early years, the curators collected political posters that were meant to sway public opinion in turbulent times. The result is one of the preeminent poster collections in the world.

Approximately 30,000 of the collection's estimated 60,000 posters have been photographed and cataloged. The collection includes posters from all over the globe. The American government commissioned art from distinguished graphic designers to rally patriotism during war, to recruit enlistment in the military, and to foster conservation of resources in hard times. The resulting images possess an artistic value that outlives the poster's original purpose. For this reason, the Hoover Institution Library and Archives is delighted to share these unique visual resources with a wider public.