The Greatest Mother Alonzo Foringer, 1918 The Greatest Mother was an immensely popular poster produced for the Second War Fund Campaign in 1918 about a year after America had entered World War I. Its creator, Alonzo Foringer, was a skilled mural artist and banknote designer. the theme for the poster was introduced by an advertising executive to convey an image of mercy and tenderness. Foringer chose the sculptress Agnes Tait as his model, and the poster became an instant success. Widely reproduced, some ten million copies were distributed in towns and cities across the country. Its tremendous popularity inspired a host of imitations, from musical revues to plaster sculptures. The theme of the Greatest Mother became synonymous with the American Red Cross, and it was re-interpreted in subsequent posters during the following decades.