During World War II Bradbury Thompson, like many other designers, worked for the Office of War Information (OWI). Among his tasks was the design of U.S.A., a magazine aimed at Americans and allies (including the Arabic and French editions shown below), as well as the occasional enemy too. The U.S. government produced a lot of low and high-impact propaganda. U.S.A. fell somewhere in between, classically designed while vociferously propagating American values.
For more on Brad Thompson go here for his book, The Art of Graphic Design, here for his “Alphabet 26” and for his Art Directors Club Hall of Fame citation.
