The so-called "the Most Famous Poster in the World," J.M. Flagg's 1917 I Want You for the US Army lithograph is now a cultural icon throughout the United States. Originally appearing as the cover of a magazine, the bearded figure in a star-spangled hat dubbed Uncle Sam was originally introduced as the US entered World War I, and was reintroduced as a recruitment poster during World War II. Though Flagg used a slightly modified version of his own visage as the model for the poster, Uncle Sam has been an American symbol since the War of 1812. Flagg was also influenced by a similar British poster of Lord Kitchener, published three years prior to the American version, depicting the War Secretary in a similar pose. The motif and the image has now since come to represent America the world over, and is one of the most iconic images of the First World War.
