James Montgomery Flagg was 39 when the United States entered World War I in 1917, much too old to enlist. Instead, Flagg drew on what he did best, and in the process influenced not only the war effort but also the face of a country.
A leading illustrator of the time, Flagg's dramatic creation of Uncle Sam exhorting “I Want You for U.S. Army” so resonated with the public that it became a recruitment marvel and one of the most enduring images of the 20th century.
Flagg didn't invent Uncle Sam but, with the top hat, goatee, the burning eyes and long finger pointing at the very soul
