World War II Sign "Due to Shortage of Help"

World War II Sign "Due to Shortage of Help"

A sign in a shop window during World War II sets limits on what can be taken in, citing the shortage of labor from many men and women going away, overseas in the war.

Kosti Ruohomaa documented some of the many posters and banners informing and encouraging people to come together to do things that would help the collective effort while the United States was fighting in World War II. Some of the signs give information about supply fluctuations and ration stamps, others illustrate a labor shortage, while a few businesses seem to be using the war to get people to buy their products. Most of the posters, signs, and displays showed the commitment of businesses, families, and workers to do their part to help their country. Six images were published in the September 25, 1944 issue of LIFE Magazine on pages 96-97, 100, and 104-105.