Rare, Stunning Original WW I (1914-18) Poster: "Treat'em Rough. Join the Tanks"

Description

Item specifics
TREAT EM ROUGH! JOIN THE TANKS
, by August W. Hutaf (circa 1918), is a magnificent, original poster measuring approximately 37.3 x 27.2 inches.  This four-color print lithograph was made by the National Printing and Engraving Company in New York.   It has been professionally graded by a famous NYC Poster Dealer as Near Mint (A-) and is conservation backed on linen.  It has faint fold marks and one expertly repaired, very small, barely noticeable restoration to lost left margin about 6 inches below the top edge.  In the upper left corner is a small, quite imperceptible water stain about 1.5 inches in size.  Neither of these two items detract from the beauty of this poster in any way, still making for it to be considered Near Mint.
Soon after entering World War I the United States Army decided to create a tank corps choosing Captain George S. Patton to be responsible for its development.  Throughout their involvement in the war the Tank Corps used British Mark V and French FT-17 tanks.  The wildcat, "Black Tom," was the mascot of the new, proud and powerful unit and he is pictured here personifying the Corps' motto "Treat 'em rough!"  as British tanks manned by American crews rumble across a fiery no-man's land.
Don't miss your chance to own this extremely scarce, original poster which only rarely comes up for sale, maybe once every two or three years.  As mentioned in Gary Borkan's book, World War I Posters, this poster is one of the top ten most highly prized and rarest American posters from the Great War (Rawls 254, Theofiles 14, Paret 76, Borkan p. 45).  The poster is the only large color tank recruiting poster from that conflict and should not be confused with its smaller 22x14 inch version having recruiting station locations printed along its bottom.
This rare and spectacular poster will make a tremendous addition to anyone's poster or militaria collection.  The poster will be shipped to a domestic buyer rolled and insured within 3 business days, via UPS or FedEx, at no charge.  The poster is
available for sale to customers worldwide, but
due to the variation in international shipping costs and customs duties,
Ebay's Global Shipping Program will be used and there are
no returns accepted for an international sale.
A domestic return will be accepted only following contact with the seller and if done within 14 days of receipt, with the poster being handled and shipped in the same condition and manner as was done by the seller.  The seller reserves the right to cancel bids from buyers with zero or negative feedback.  The seller also reserves the right to end this listing at anytime should the poster no longer be available for sale.
If the package arrives damaged due to improper handling by the carrier, please refuse the package and contact me immediately. I require that a return of the poster be packaged exactly as it was shipped with appropriate insurance. If the poster is returned damaged due to buyer mishandling or poor/improper packaging, no refund will be given. A return of the poster must be with my authorization. A return of the poster without my authorization will be subject to a 20% penalty fee.