MIAMI BEACH, FL (AUGUST 14, 2007)—Join The Wolfsonian-Florida International University as it presents a series of works that strengthen its holdings of books and other printed ephemera, addressing the active role that graphic design plays as an instrument of political persuasion. Indoctrinating Youth: Selections from the Pamela K. Harer Gift of Propaganda Books for Children opens August 7, 2007 and remains on view through October 31, 2007.

During the early twentieth century, both democratic and totalitarian countries introduced children to political and war-related messages through books and magazines. Children’s books were a means to enlist even the youngest members of a nation in the broader cause of the war effort and build the allegiance of future adult citizens to the state. In some books, children are depicted as combatants in scenes that make war look like child's play; in others, young readers are encouraged to actively support the war through participation in scrap drives or by saving coins to buy victory stamps.

Pamela K. Harer’s generous donation to The Wolfsonian-Florida International University comprises approximately 108 children books. Included in this gift are propaganda pieces from Great Britain, Germany, France, the United States, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union, and Australia covering the Boer War and, most especially, the First and Second World Wars. Other more contemporary children's books in the collection cover the cold war era, modern conflicts, and war in general, most often from an antiwar perspective. These works invite viewers to make innovative comparisons of shared imagery among countries with very different political systems and are on view in the museum’s rare book and specials collections library vestibule.

About The Wolfsonian–Florida International University
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, political, and technological changes that have transformed the world. The approximately 120,000 artifacts that comprise The Wolfsonian collection range from fine art, graphic design, and political propaganda to furniture, rare books, and ephemeral materials such as postcards and travel brochures. Since opening to the public just ten years ago, The Wolfsonian has developed and disseminated critically acclaimed exhibitions, publications, and educational programs that highlight the impact of design in shaping the modern world. Its vast patrimony of primary source materials provides unparalleled opportunities for scholarship and appreciation, making it a unique resource for local, national, and international audiences.

The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Fla. Admission is $7 adults; $5 seniors, students, and children six-12; free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID, children under six, and Miami Beach residents with ID. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Contact us at 305.531.1001 or visit us online at www.wolfsonian.org.

The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Continental Airlines, the preferred airline of The Wolfsonian; the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation; and Karla Conceptual Event Experiences.

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