Tennessee Valley Authority, World War II Posters, 1942-43 (gallery).

  • “Electric power is a weapon of war. No tank, no shell, no plane can be made without it. TVA jobs are war jobs.” WWII Poster
  • “Out of water power… comes air power. This is a TVA war job.”
  • “Power to Win: 10 Years of TVA” WWII Poster

During World War II, hydroelectric dams operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority powered crucial war industries, including factories producing airplanes and bombs. TVA’s hydropower also served the secret nuclear complex at Oak Ridge, Tennessee as part of the Manhattan Project. 

How did these World War II-era posters lay the groundwork for the popular celebration of TVA and government planning and development in the post-war period?