Canada's Egg Opportunity
This World War I poster, issued by the Canada Food Board, promotes increased production of eggs as a contribution to the war effort. The poster shows a large chicken, two figures representing Great Britain and Canada, and four eggs, representing the size of the egg shortage in Britain, the number of eggs Britain normally imported, and Canadian egg sales to Britain in two different years. The statistics highlight the egg shortage in Britain, owing to decreased wartime production, but note that Canada’s egg sales to Britain were lower than they had been in the prewar era. The text proclaims: “Very little eggs for such a big bird. Canada must do better.” Canada was a major food producer during World War I, and the government in Ottawa urged Canadian farmers to maximize output. The production of food grew rapidly after 1914, in response to urgings such as this and to high international prices. Nearly all of the increased output was exported to Britain, France, and other countries suffering wartime deficits.
Howell Lithography, Ontario, Canada
Type of Item
1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 62 x 46 centimeters
Last updated: January 17, 2017