Khajistan Seeks Preservation Partner for 202 U.S. Propaganda Leaflets Dropped on Japan
by Khajistan Cultural Desk
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Preservation Projects: Part of an Ongoing Series
New York, NY — Khajistan has completed the full digitization of 202 American war propaganda leaflets dropped on Japan in 1944 and 1945.
These are original psychological-warfare artifacts delivered from U.S. aircraft onto civilian populations during the final phase of World War II. Khajistan now holds one of the most complete surviving sets.
Collection Fact Sheet
Collection Overview
| Collection | U.S. WWII propaganda leaflets dropped on Japan |
| Items | 202 |
| Date of origin | 1944–1945 |
| Origin | Dropped from U.S. aircraft as psychological warfare (Office of War Information) |
| Artwork | Much created under Frances Blakemore’s direction at the OWI art department in Tokyo |
| Condition | Nearly eighty years old; brittle edges, fading pigments |
| Digitization status | Complete — high-resolution color, stabilized, cataloged, linked to original U.S. intelligence notes |
| Current need | Preservation partner for temperature-controlled, long-term storage |
The Materials
| Illustrated leaflets | Small-format illustrated leaflets |
| Newspaper-style sheets | Large newspaper-style sheets |
| Translation files | OWI “Confidential” and “Secret” translation files detailing the intended psychological effect of each message |
What the Collection Contains
The physical materials include small-format illustrated leaflets, large newspaper-style sheets, and accompanying Office of War Information “Confidential” and “Secret” translation files that detail the intended psychological effect of each message. Many carry artwork created under Frances Blakemore’s direction at the OWI art department in Tokyo. The digitization phase is done: every leaflet has been captured in high-resolution color, stabilized, cataloged, and linked to its original U.S. intelligence notes. What remains is the physical safeguarding of the originals themselves.
Condition and Risk
These leaflets are fragile. The paper is nearly eighty years old. Edges are brittle. Pigments are fading. Even stable archives can fail without environmental control. Khajistan cannot allow these artifacts of wartime persuasion to disappear.
Seeking a Preservation Partner
Khajistan is now seeking a preservation partner — a committed institution or archival facility capable of providing temperature-controlled, long-term storage for the physical collection. The goal is not only preservation, but stewardship: ensuring that the originals remain safe, accessible, and protected for future research into propaganda, visual warfare, and state messaging.
Institutions with interest in acquiring this collection are invited to contact info@khajistan.com.
