1918 WALL STREET BASH
Two of the biggest stars in Hollywood – Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks – put on an impressive gymnastics display to entertain thousands outside what is now Federal Hall on Wall Street, New York, with a statue of George Washington looming behind them. Their performance is part of a rally to promote war bonds. Uptake in the US had been slow following the US’s entry into World War I in April 1917, with many citizens unfamiliar with how bonds worked, so celebrities were recruited to champion them as a patriotic way of aiding the war effort. Chaplin faced criticism in the media for not going to fight, but that didn’t stop him being a firm favourite with the troops.
NEW YORK TIMES PHOTO ARCHIVES/REDUX/EYEVINE