Editing: and babies?

# And Babies?

**"And babies?"** is an iconic anti-Vietnam War poster created in 1969 by the Art Workers Coalition (AWC) that became one of the most powerful pieces of protest art from the Vietnam War era [1]. The poster combines a horrific documentary photograph from the My Lai Massacre with text from a television interview, creating a stark indictment of American military actions in Vietnam that the government had attempted to conceal.

The poster's simple yet devastating design features a color photograph of civilian casualties from the My Lai Massacre overlaid with red text reading "Q. And babies? A. And babies." This question-and-answer format came directly from a CBS television interview with U.S. soldier Paul Meadlo, who had participated in the massacre [2]. When asked by reporter Mike Wallace whether the killings included babies, Meadlo's matter-of-fact response became the poster's haunting refrain.

## Origins and Creation

The **My Lai Massacre** occurred on March 16, 1968, when U.S. soldiers from Charlie Company killed between 347 and 504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, including women, children, and elderly people, in the village of My Lai [3]. U.S. Army photographer **Ronald L. Haeberle** documented the aftermath with both black-and-white official photographs and personal color images taken with his own camera.

The massacre remained hidden from the American public for over a year until investigative journalist Seymour Hersh broke the story in November 1969. Haeberle's color photographs were subsequently published in *Life* magazine, shocking the American public with their graphic depiction of the atrocity's aftermath [4].

The **Art Workers Coalition**, a New York-based collective of artists and activists formed in 1969, seized upon these revelations to create anti-war propaganda. The organization's Poster Committee, including artists **Irving Petlin**, **Jon Hendricks**, and **Frazer Dougherty**, collaborated with Haeberle to transform his documentary photograph into a protest poster [5]. Released on December 26, 1969, the poster was designed for mass distribution to fuel public outrage against the Vietnam War.

## Design and Impact

Rather than relying on symbolic imagery or artistic interpretation, the AWC deliberately chose to use unvarnished journalistic evidence to convey the war's horrors [2]. The poster's power lies in its stark juxtaposition of visual documentation with the perpetrator's own words, creating what art historians consider a prime example of "propaganda art" from the Vietnam War period [1].

The red text overlay serves multiple functions: it identifies the source of the quote, emphasizes the deliberate targeting of civilians including infants, and creates a visual connection between the blood visible in the photograph and the text itself. This design choice transforms Haeberle's documentary photograph into a tool of political activism while preserving its testimonial power.

The poster was widely distributed through various channels, including art galleries, college campuses, and anti-war demonstrations. Its impact extended beyond the immediate anti-war movement, influencing subsequent generations of activist artists who sought to combine documentary evidence with political messaging.

## Historical Significance

"And babies?" represents a crucial moment in American art and politics when artists directly confronted government secrecy and military actions. The poster emerged during a period of intense social upheaval, when public trust in government institutions was eroding due to revelations about Vietnam War conduct and the credibility gap between official statements and battlefield realities.

The work exemplifies how artists during the Vietnam era moved beyond traditional aesthetic concerns to engage directly with political issues. The AWC's approach of using mass-produced posters rather than unique artworks reflected their commitment to reaching the broadest possible audience rather than elite art collectors.

The poster also highlights the role of photography in shaping public opinion about war. Haeberle's images, like other iconic Vietnam War photographs such as the **Napalm Girl** and the **Saigon Execution**, demonstrated photography's power to influence public sentiment and policy debates.

## Legacy and Collections

"And babies?" is now held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum [5][2][3]. Its transition from street-level propaganda to museum artifact reflects the broader acceptance of activist art within institutional art history.

The poster continues to be studied as an example of effective political communication and remains relevant to contemporary discussions about war, media coverage, and artistic activism. Its direct, uncompromising approach has influenced subsequent generations of artists addressing social and political issues.

Art historians recognize the work as a significant example of how artists can collaborate with journalists and photographers to create powerful political statements. The poster's enduring impact demonstrates the potential for art to serve as both historical document and catalyst for social change.

## Related Topics

- My Lai Massacre
- Art Workers Coalition
- Vietnam War protest art
- Ronald L. Haeberle
- Anti-war movement
- Documentary photography
- Political poster art
- 1960s counterculture

## Summary

"And babies?" is a 1969 anti-Vietnam War poster created by the Art Workers Coalition that combines a documentary photograph from the My Lai Massacre with text from a soldier's interview, becoming one of the most powerful examples of protest art from the Vietnam era.

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