Advertising the United States:
Discovering America’s flagship through prints, posters, and advertisements
“Who Built the United States?” Commissioned by Dietzgen, 1953, Fortune Magazine.
Image Courtesy of the Collection of Paul Stipkovich
“Who built the United States?” Dietzgen, an engineer and architect supply company, asks viewers. Do they mean the SS United States, the fastest, safest, and most luxurious ship in the seas? Or do they mean the nation, “the greatest and best country in the world”? It does not matter, Dietzgen writes, for the answer is the same. This advertisement is one of very few that features working class people, conveying an appreciation of the hard work that made the United States the “greatest country in the world.” This is a very different viewpoint from other ads of the United States which focus on the luxury, speed, and style of ship. In an illustrative style reminiscent of American artist Thomas Hart Benton, this colorful and expressive ad tells the story of the tenacity, skill, and accomplishment found on American shores.